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(meteorobs) THE CLOUD GODS WERE KIND (21/22 Oct 1999, GRALE)
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To: Meteor Observing Mailing List <meteorobs@jovian.com>
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Subject: (meteorobs) THE CLOUD GODS WERE KIND (21/22 Oct 1999, GRALE)
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From: Lew Gramer <dedalus@latrade.com>
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Date: Fri, 22 Oct 99 05:39:21 -0400
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Cc: Local meteor folks - Steve Clougherty <sclough@masseddot net>, stevo703@aol.com, Bob Johnson <bcas@hotmail.com>, B_C_A_S@iname.com, B_C_A_S@webtvdot net, Rachel Aubuchon <aubuchon@hydra.rose.brandeisdot edu>, Steve Harrison <ko0u@os.com>, Michael Aramini <aramini@hpanvs.an.hp.com>, Michael Aramini <aramini@ma.ultranet.com>, Mary Dockray-Miller <dockraym@bcdot edu>, Colin Caissie <c_caissie@hopkinsrides.com>, Bob Donahue <donahue@omphalos.skepsis.com>, Bill Wilder <billw@devpartners.com>, Randy Roos <randy@gisdot net>, Ed Turco <eturco@ccri.cc.ri.us>, Dave Dixon <depot13@aol.com>, Bill Mahoney <wmahoney@latrade.com>
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Reply-To: meteorobs@jovian.com
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Sender: owner-meteorobs@jovian.com
Well, Oct 20/21 (Wed. night) had been another New England Fake Out for me:
clouds in the evening and predicted rain toward morning - only to awaken
just after sunrise to singing birds and a CLOUDLESS blue sky.
Yet now I'm just coming in from my first, last and only full session of this
year's Orionid peak! :) The alarm went off just before 4am this morning, and
I watched the moon set in a cirrusy haze as I bundled up for the trip to the
backyard - my heart sinking. Yet to my surprise, the high clouds seemed very
localized: some to deep West, and some streamers (colored an incredible pale
red by the setting moon) due North. So overhead and South were clear!
I began my watch right at 8:00 UT, and my heart lifted still further as I
watched the streamers of haze receed deeper into the North. I planned to
watch until about 9:30 UT. However, like a commuter train exactly at 9:03, a
great bank of cumulus and stratocumulus roared into my field of view from
the Southwest. The Cloud Gods had spared me this year! But only just...
(As I type this, repeated waves of skunk scent waft in through our closed
windows: maybe the Cloud Gods spared me in ways I hadn't realized?)
In 1.01 hrs Teff, I saw a satisfying 13 meteors: 5 ORI, 3 NTA, 1 EGE, 4 Spo.
The surprise of the night were probably the South Taurids: they were totally
absent. As for best meteor of the night, there were actually TWO contenders:
an electric green -1 Orionid with 4 second train in Cam was very nice. But I
think the best was that sole Epsilon Geminid, a +1 with 0.5 second train in
Tau: it seemed VERY fast, as some few "fast" meteors occasionally do; It was
a delicate, pale white-yellow - NOT the "white" often recorded for colorless
meteors; And best of all, I caught it just AFTER I blinked - a fun effect.
As always, report to NAMN will follow in due (or overdue!) time...
Clear skies everyone,
Lew Gramer, GRALE
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