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Re: (meteorobs) Moonlight and the IMO method: was Re: Note on Observing Technique...)
Thanks Lew, for the quick response to my questions on moonlight's effect on meteor
counts. (With Leonid reports still coming in no less!)
Actually when it comes to recording meteors by the standardized IMO method I am a
newbie. (Though I have watched meteors in the "wonder only" mode since the late
60's -- becoming familiar with just the Perseids as far as defined
showers/radiants are concerned) (1999's Leonids hooked me on doing more, 1998
rained out or I might have been hooked sooner)
My questions actually come from my approach to my work in microbiology where any
variable is either controlled or at least understood enough to have "correction
factors" Being new to meteor research (newbie) I had no idea if this was an area
that had enough data to be able to extrapolate to corrected sporadic counts in
moonlit situations, hence my earlier questions post.
I understand that the LM value on a moonless night night of observation is used as a
correction factor for light pollution, using the population index to obtain the
ZHR. What I am gathering from your reply is that the moon is an additional variable
and that simply using the LM (due to the moon + light pollution) in the ZHR formulas
is insufficient ? The sky certainly had variable LMs depending on where one looked
which leads me to agree with you that a large variable for this event is the portion
of the sky one chose to view. I avoided the moon drenched area of the sky and
didn't even try to get a LM from that area (-- too scary.) I was tempted to look
that way to increase my chance of seeing more fireballs but ended up staying with
the darker parts of the sky (towards Auriga) to catch a wider range of meteor
magnitudes.
Despite the moon a very enjoyable show! and interesting to see the peaks recorded.
Clear Skies and fireballs,
-----~~~~~~~*******~~---
Dustin Brown
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