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(meteorobs) Perseids: Fraser Park (LA) CA 12/13 August 1999



Hello again,

It's been a long time since I posted or even saw a shower. It was good to 
steal some time away from work to see the show although I must say that I was 
as disappointed as many others who have viewed previous Perseids displays. 

I first saw the Perseids in 1994 at which time I was treated to the most 
amazing celestial display of my life--more exciting than the total eclipse of 
 91 in Baja. How can I say that? Unfortunately I do not know the scientific 
jargon and measurements (and to my dismay do not have the time to learn right 
now) , but perhaps someone else saw it and could let me know how it would be 
described and what you would call it. Earthgrazer seems insufficient. 

I observed this massive meteor during the major peak of the Persids of  94 
approximately 7:30pm PDT in the area near Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles CA. It 
was soon after sundown & it was still quite light.  I was observing the 
orange glow beginning to develop on the mountain range in front of me. Then, 
as if the angels were giving a gift just for me, immediately in front of me 
shot this meteor 90 degrees to the horizon. If I were to put my hands out in 
front of me to measure the visual image, I would say that the head of it was 
the size of a basketball and the tail at least a foot. It was mainly a yellow 
ocher color with streaks of red, orange, blue and purple. I wondered 
afterward why I saw no fire.  Visually, the impression was that it was very 
close. By the time it reached 12:00 directly over my head, the end of its 
tail was just beginning emerge from the moutain tops. It was enormous. And 
only one other person in our group of 25 saw it because it was daylight and 
no one was expecting anything. I feel blessed to have witnessed such a 
grandiose display. Did anyone see it?

So in hopes of seeing another one, I started observing the Perseids at 7:15pm 
PDT 8/12 near Fraser Park just north of Los Angeles. Except for light dust 
that was kicking up from the 25mph wind, the sky was exceptionally clear, not 
a cloud in sight the entire night. The detail of the Milky Way was more than 
I had ever seen with the naked eye. All stars of the big dipper were bright . 

8/12/99 (Times approx)
7:15-8:15 PDT--No earthgrazers, Nada
8:15-8:30 PDT--there were 5 small Perseids with minor trains. 
8:30 PDT--I may have seen the same one Shelby Ennis described as "Best single 
burn observed by a number of us in North    America" as I believe he is 2 hrs 
from here. It was wide width, but had a short run with a persistent trail of 
3-4sec.  Appox 90   degrees from the radiant, running north to south
8:30-9:30 PDT--4 with trains lasting 2-3 sec, other minor sightings from then 
on averaging about 1 every  minute
9:30-10:30 PDT-- minor sightings averaging about 1 every 1-2 minutes
10:30 -12 all but died. 

8/13/99
12-1:00am PDT--Very little
1:30-3:00am PDT--It picked up gradually. The most impressive one of the 
morning: a bright high altitude one with a train lasting 6-7 seconds spanning 
about 150 degrees across the sky running NE-S. Three other high altitude very 
bright ones with trains lasting 2-5 sec. 
and spanning about 90 degrees.  Rate was about 1-2 per minute.
3:00-4:30 Quite a few (lost count) with short trains with at the horizon 
level in the N to WNW Quadrant. Frequency gradually dropping to 1 every 
minute or 2.

Had to leave at 4:30 to get to work on time. So sorry I missed that -6 
Perseid fireball with a one minute train that was reported at Mt Gleason.

All the help I got from you folks last year was of great assistance this time 
round. Thanks again. I hope I got something on film, even if it wasn't a big 
one. Oh, I've been spoiled for anything else, having seen that one!!

Cindee C. McCallister
Fraser Park 
North of Los Angeles, California
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