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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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