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(meteorobs) Geminids and the Moon
If you read Joan and David Dunham's post about the possible Geminid
strikes on the Moon, you will notice I posted two possible strikes.
I'm surprised there weren't more posts for Sunday night, I had wanted
my uncertain post used to confirm any other sighting at the same time.
The strain I wrote about was from using my old table-top telescope,
the constant adjustments and the necessity for concentrated observing
that was very different than my normal planetary joy-riding, it was
more intense than my observing the Moon to draw it back in '85.
During the 30 minutes I observed (6:05-6:35 local time) I thought I
may have seen more points of light than I reported, but because of the
uncertainty from the eye strain, they were burning from concentration
at the end of the session, I disregarded possible hits earlier in the
session. The problem is the need to see any small transitory light
prick and then trying to decide if it was a real sighting, I decided
to report my last two sightings in the interest of science and take a
chance they were real impacts as they were very clear.
If the Dunhams call for sightings tonight (Tuesday evening), I'll be
there if it's clear, and I would hope many of our experianced
observers would participate and give more credence than myself to
these unusual events. Last night I was clouded out during the early
evening, but I did manage observing after walking the dog at about
12:40 (after the replay of the debate), I was treated to a -6 Geminid
traveling NNW, no train, speed 2.5, about 35 degrees travel, bluish
white with red rim after burn. Just beautiful, hope Robert Lunsford
saw it. A little later I saw a +1 Navaho white meteor move from the N
to NE (from near the North Star toward the Big Dipper bowl) that broke
into two equal heads with a rocket like short train. Speed, 1.5 and 15
degrees travel.
Dave English
Oceanside, California
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