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(meteorobs) EMO Perseid Spectra Report

         EMO SPECTROGRAPHIC  PRELIMINARY PERSEID REPORT

 A single image intensified meteor spectrograph was setup at my observatory
in Courtenay B.C. on Vancouver Island on August 13/14.  The system consisted
of a so called "Astro Grade" 2nd generation image intensifier fitted with a
Canon F-1.4 - 50 mm lens and a precision 600 g/mm transmission grating
blazed for 4000A.  The intensifier screen was imaged with a Hi8 video camera
recording on a standard VHS recorder.   Richard Hill, a member of our west
coast fireball network helped me setup and kept me company during the first
part of the patrol.  We got started at 06h UT 14 Aug. and shut down at
11:15h UT.  We recorded 3 spectra and 9 zero order direct meteor tracks an
one UFO! :-)  An insect took a liking to the green glow of the intensifier
screen and sometimes was imaged walking across it.  Darned near ruined  one
of the spectra.  Oh well, another problem to solve!
    The images were recorded as follows:

No. 1    06:24:38 UT  -  Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order,  no
spectrum

No.2    07:24:27 UT  -   Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order,  no
spectum

No.3    08:00:00 UT  -   Perseid Spectrum - O l oxygen green line recorded

No.4    08:10:29 UT  -   Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order, no
spectrum

No.5    08:11:33 UT  -   Direct Non-Perseid meteor track, no spectrum

No.6    08:56:45 UT  -   Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order, no
spectrum

No.7    09:28:27 UT  -   Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order, no
spectrum

No.8    09:47:49 UT  -   Perseid Spectrum - with 0 l oxygen green line
recorded

No.9    10:06:32 UT  -   Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order, no
spectrum

No.10  10:10:51 UT  -  Direct Perseid meteor track, zero order, no spectrum

No.11  10:52:19 UT  -  Direct faint meteor track, no spectrum

No.12  11:03:02 UT  -  Non -Perseid Spectrum - Little information as
dispersion direction
                                       poor.

No.13  11:08:48 UT -  Direct meteor track - no spectrum

    The Sandia All-sky Video tapes were checked for meteor detections and
none of the meteors recorded by the spectrograph were imaged by the all-sky.
That would make them all less than ~-2.0  magnitude and therefore would not
have been recorded by a conventional photographic spectrograph using film.
Only 3 brighter than -2.0 magnitude meteors were recorded by the Sandia
All-sky but these were unfortunately not in the field of view of the image
intensified spectrograph.  It only has a circular field of view of around 25
degrees.

The Sandia All-sky images were recorded as follows:  14 August 1999

    09:45:39 UT  Perseid  ~-3.0 magnitude
    10:02:10 UT Perseid   ~-5.0 magnitude
    10:41:58 UT Perseid   ~-4.0 magnitude

All-in-all, the program was very successful for a first try using the image
intensifier video system.  It's too bad it was not clear for the night of
maximum!

Ed Majden - AMS Meteor Spectroscopy Program Coordinator



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