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(meteorobs) Observations March 23/24-00



      For the third straight evening, I went out and observed/monitored meteor
rates for the early evening hours.  As usual, I began as soon as darkness and deeper
LM's allowed, which has been being around 7:40 local time.  The moon did not rise until
10:20 or so last night, giving me an extended second period.  Clear weather also continued to be the norm, and my LM's tonight were the best this week, reaching 6.67 in one area during my
final count.
    The session started off with a bang when an extremely brief -3 (I'm-just-barely-a) fireball scooted slowly off Leo's front paw.  The path length was remarkably short, maybe only half a degree -- don't know that I've ever seen such a bright meteor with such a short path.  It had a <1 second train.  Perhaps most remarkable was the *very* intense aqua color, unmistakable in the just-darkened eastern sky.  While I was staring at the sky trying to place the meteor for plotting, another meteor, this time a +4 somewhat nebulous meteor near Gemini distracted me, so the second meteor did not get plotted.
    Also remarkable were the rates during the second period.  Between 1:58 and 2:48 -- just 50 minutes time -- seven meteors appeared.  One was an anti-apex candidate.  Two more meteors lined up with my *possible* radiant at 11hrs 20min +23, though one was rated at a "3" speed rather than a "2" and had a 1 second train.  All in all, the session proved to be a treat given that it was early on a late March evening.  Weather permitting, I'll hopefully get a full three hours in tonight.

****************************************************************************************
OBSERVER:  Kim S. Youmans (YOUKI)  DATE:03-23/24-00
BEGIN: 00:44UT  END 03:14UT  LOCATION:  Treutlen Co, Ga.
82. 24' 25" W;  32. 24' 45" N   METHOD: Tape
Elev 240 ft  Facing East
2 periods, sky 0% obscured, No breaks

Period 1  00:44 - 01:44 UT  SPO(3)
Dead time =2 min  Teff = 0.97  F= 1.00
SolarLong. 003.711x Avg LM = 6.30

Period 1  01:44 - 03:14 UT  SPO(8)
Dead time =5 min  Teff = 1.42  F= 1.00
SolarLong. 003.762x Avg LM = 6.49

Limiting Magnitudes
01:04 UT  (IMO 4)+6.47  (IMO 17)+6.09
01:31 UT  (IMO 4)+6.54  (IMO 17)+6.09
02:02 UT  (IMO 4)+6.54  (IMO 3)+6.35
03:00 UT  (IMO 4)+6.67  (IMO 3)+6.41

Center FOV - Midperiod (UT)
Period 1 9hrs 50min +25
Period 2 10hrs 30min +34
Showers Observed
VIR(1)   192x   -2x
SPO(10)
Anti-apex  6hr 17min +24

Mag Distribution
Period 1
SPO(3)  -3(1) +3(1) +4(1)

Period 2
SPO(7)  +1(1) +2(1) +5(5)
VIR(1)        +2(1)

Meteor Data
Period 1
(Time UT, Shower, Mag, Speed, Accuracy  Meteor ID
01  00:49   SPO   -3      1      1         A     see remarks
02  00:50   SPO   +4      2     N/A
03  01:15   SPO   +3      2      3         B

Period 2
(Time UT, Shower, Mag, Speed, Accuracy
04  01:58   SPO   +5      2      1         C  antiapex
05  02:11   SPO   +5      3      2         D
06  02:22   VIR   +2      3      1         E
07  02:28   SPO   +2      3      2         F
08  02:34   SPO   +5      2      1         G
09  02:37   SPO   +1      3      1         H   1 sec train
10  02:48   SPO   +5      2      2         I
11  03:08   SPO   +5      2      1         J

Remarks:  Meteor 1 was a -3 fireball with an intense blue/aqua color, <1 sec train
and extremely short path length of perhaps only 1/2 to 1 degree.
 

Accuracy scale(1-3) 1/best 2/medium 3/worst