(meteorobs) RED LIGHT!!

Using only the filter provided with the flashlights is usually not enough, as the filter

has a high light transmission. I use a small flashligh with a red acrylic glass plate

and 4 - 5 layers of white printer paper. This is enough for me as I only use it to look

at my watch and plotting charts. It would certainly be no use for any other task -

such as looking for your lost pen in the grass...

I too get really agitated by bright flashlights. There were several incidents on the

recent camp. One night a journalist drove right up to our observing spot, while we

were observing meteors. We explained to him the importance of shutting of your

lights while driving up to astronomers.

One older chap at the camp, a really strange fellow lost his red flashlight one night.

The flashlight was bright enough to signal a ship 20 miles away. The guy then pulled

a huuuughe flashligh out of his bag and started walking around us (no less than 6

observers) with the flashlight on, asking us whether we had seen his 'small' flashlight.

The thing was big - something like car floodlights. After he quit his searching, reasoning

it would be better to look for it during the day (!!!) we all had to take a long break, just

to sufficiently dark adapt our eyes to resume the observations!

But even this cannot compare with the floodlight that interrupted our observations

on August 13/14 1999. About a kilometer south of MBK there is a small farm.

It wasn't really notable for anything until that night the farmer turned on the

huge floodlight and for some reason chose to point it directly at our observing

site. The thing must have been powered by a nuclear reactor or a warp drive

of some sort! It was brighter than the full moon, even from a kilometer away!!

There has been some discussion whether the flashlight should be red, with

some arguing that just about any color will do. I disagree. The human eye

most sensitive to green light and from my experience I can say a red light

is much better than anything else.

Clear skies!

Jure A.

P.S. - while plotting, has anyone ever noticed a human being lacks a third hand?

Or several fingers? ;)