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Ghostly geese (was Re: (meteorobs) Observations Oct 17)
>Anyway, another weird thing happened. At the beginning of the session (17:20Ut
>or 19:20 local) I saw a delta shaped formation of... ...UFOs :) Not really. It
>turend out they were high flying ducks, but it was very fascinating. The whole
>flock was not more than 1 degree wide, so they were probably very high,
>possibly 1 to 2 km??? Do ducks fly that high? Or were they really UFOs? :)
Jure, I've seen this eerie and truly enchanting sight a few times myself - but
only when I was observing meteors closer to the city! I wondered exactly what
this apparition was when I FIRST saw them. However, within 30 seconds or so of
that first Spring-time sighting, I heard a distinctive, far-off sound which I
immediately identified - they were geese, migrating North!
Since then, I've heard the haunting call of geese far overhead several times,
and I've also seen these ghostly "Vs" moving across the sky two or three times:
but never since that first time have I experienced them together! So I guess you
would say I was lucky. I'm not sure what migrating fowl you have in Central
Europe, but I've since identified my sightings as probably Canada geese.
BTW all, this is the sort of natural beauty meteor observing accords a nearly
UNIQUE opportunity to experience! Standing at an eyepiece all night, you are
likely to miss such wonders - and in a dome, you almost certainly will...
Coincidentally, for those with a special interest in night-time animal sounds
while they observe meteors, I believe our own multi-faceted Rob McNaught is a
bit of an expert in the identification of such wildlife sounds!
Clear skies and many wonders,
Lew Gramer
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