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(meteorobs) Leonids Report (Mt. Wilson)
*******Leonids REPORT from Mt. Wilson 11/16-17-18/2000
11/16-17 (Thu eve, Fri mor)
cold, very breezy at times. 5000 ft elevation. low pressure area
funnelling cold air from Canada
ran meteor-patrol mount (2 cameras): exposure every 5 min from 11pm -
5am
no breaks, standing the whole time, bending backward, facing zenith
got so cold, picked up rocks & threw them off the cliff to get
exercise. infernal dripping nose, constantly wiping/cleaning!!?? how &
why do people observe in near-freezing weather?? (Midwest & East)
infernal cars driving down Angeles Crest Hwy..(!!??). Had to be on
constant watchout, to cover up cameras. infernal airplanes all over.
could see a line of planes in south, lined up for LAX approach.
didn't see first Leonid until couple hrs into session. It was near
Leo's sickle, had a persistent train. Looked like a spear: yes...a
"familiar signature" from Leonids past..
didn't even visually see the LONG Leonid one recorded on film. (it's
hard to constantly monitor the sky for 6 straight hrs, running cameras
every 5 min)
the bright Taurid (?) towards the NE-E horizon was one of the
biggest/brightest meteors observed
disappointed in not getting a slew of bright fireballs (as in '98).
Didn't get a "rain of meteors" towards 3-5am, towards S,W, NW horizon.
11/17-18 (Fri eve, Sat mor)
not as cold as 16-17, very breezy at times. 5000 ft elevation. high
pressure area building, Santa Ana effect, bringing warmer winds. There
were several times, a HUGE breeze came up (35-40mph). my lawnchair got
blown over 3 times. My car hood was lifted up, & collapsed. I looked
over at the 2 meteor-patrol mounts, fully expecting to see them blow
over, 2 expensive fisheye lenses ($400 & $550) getting creamed.
ran 2 meteor-patrol mount (4 cameras): exposure every 5 min from 11pm -
5am
no breaks, standing the whole time, bending backward, facing zenith.
sometimes sitting in chair. brought water & cookies this time (didn't
starve like the previous night)
didn't bother to look at the radiant (as in previous night), moon is too
bright
saw many earthgrazers 11pm-12:30am. Beauties: bright,
w/persistent-trains. Saw a pattern developing in north horizon, changed
2nd fisheye-camera to monitor the area. I actually was fiddling with
its composition ~3am , looking in viewfinder...& SAW a fireball go thru
the frame!!! ..Those are the breaks..
many more bright fireballs than previous night. (it was European
observers who mentioned it on the Internet, which made me go out a 2nd
night). it was definitely a good show, worth the trip.
[ as with previous evening ] disappointed in not getting a slew of
bright fireballs (as in '98). Didn't get a "rain of meteors" towards
3-5am, towards S,W, NW horizon.
[ as with previous evening ] those infernal cars on Angeles Crest Hwy at
12-5am!!?? I was amazed at how only ONE frame was just *slightly*
flared. I thought I had a bunch of frames messed up. Infernal
airplanes all over. Friday night flights. Mt. Wilson = pits, not good
for astrophotography.
There was group of people in the turnout 100 yards away. I heard them
ooh-aah, as they saw a good meteor (I didn't see it myself)
Summary:
Good Leonid show. Didn't plan on going out, so the visual/photo results
were a last minute decision. Pleased with photo-results. Moonlight
astrophotography for meteors.dot it was a new experience & challenge...
Whew! Thanks to Christophe in France (see Appendix 2), who basically
did a "test-exposure run" for me. I guessed on 5 min @f2.8 for the 1st
night, & exposures looked good. (I went with the same times the
following night).
13 rolls (24 exp) shot over 2 nights, total cost (incl developing) =
$80. Gas= $20. To be honest, the frames w/meteors showed only the
BRIGHT fireballs. My visual notes (see Appendix 1) confirm, that many
meteors never recorded. Was it worth the cost ($100) to get several
images?? (I spent $300 on last year Leonids. Coulda bought a telescope
or nice camera lens). Depends on your point of view. Science: Yes
(meteor-patrol cameras all-sky coverage monitors Leonid activity,
11pm-5am)
Amateur: probably No ("shooting at random..hoping for meteors..making
pretty pictures")
Bottomline: I did what I HAD to do..
"Opinion vs Science, Opinion begets Ignorance, Science Knowledge"
-- Hipparchus
***"frame" shows planets, moon, earth, meteor, deep-sky
This has to be some kind of a "first":
http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/leonids00/1718/M16mm/M16mm.html
The fisheye shot shows the moon, Milky Way (you can see a "hint" of it),
2 planets (Jupiter & Saturn), a long fireball, deep-sky objects: M35
(clearly), NGC1499 (barely), M45 (clearly), M42 (clearly), earth
horizon.
***"frame" shows long fireball near gas-giant planets
http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/leonids00/1718/C24mm/C24mm.html
Compare the above LONG fireball (near Taurus, Pleiades, Jupiter, Saturn)
with..
http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/geminids99/N20mm/N20mm.html
Very similar.."deja vu"..from ~1 year ago. A fireball thru Taurus,
Pleiades, Jupiter.
That Geminid was perhaps the MOST spectacular meteor I;ve experienced.
I didn't even see it. I was so "bombed out" (sleep-deprived, after 200
mile 3.5 hr drive to Anza Borrego), I was JUST about to lie down in my
van..& the ground/surroundings LIT UP. I said "What was that?? Did I
imagine that?? Did I inadvertently turn on my flashlight". Only after
coming back & developing film, did I confirm: HUGE FIREBALL. (This was
also seen & photographed by Robert Lunsford/AMS in Joshua Tree, north of
me)
Appendix 1 Visual Notes
11/16-17 (Thu eve, Fri mor)
12:20am changed composition
1:20am started new roll
1:30am saw 3 near Leo's "sickle". Bright, left persistent-trains.
1:32am near xxx, bright w/persistent-train
1:58am below Orion
2:21am real bright (as Jupiter), towards NE-E horizon. Taurid?
2:38 - 2:45 changed composition in fisheye-camera
3:24am from S.E. horizon to zenith. sporadic?
3:28am west horizon, below Orion
3:50am new composition for fisheye-camera
4:12am fast one near Jupiter, mag 3
11/17-18
11:15am started meteor-patrol mount #1 (Tak EM10)
11:45am started meteor-patrol mount #2 (Vixen GP)
12:03am north horizon, long one/mag 0/, 1 sec persistent-train
12:17am left of moon & Leo's sickle, long slow one/mag
0/persistent-train
12:18am even brighter than above
12:25am LONG one, bright w/nucleus
12:34am right of moon, long <illegible writing>
12:46am fast one, long mag 3, north horizon
1:00am mag 0, fast, persistent-train=2 sec, xxx Castor/Pollux
1:02am fast one, thru Big Dipper
1:37am new roll for meteor-patrol mount#1 (Tak EM10)
1:43am long, bright mag -1, above Orion
1:52am flash in west horizon (car??)
1:57am Taurid towards SW horizon
2:09am new roll for meteor-patrol mount#1 (Vixen GP)
2:23am changed GP 50mm/2.8 camera, to 35mm/2
2:37am bright fireball above mtn (north horizon)
2:56am towards NW horizon, past Pleiades, mag 2
3:09am fast, long, mag 3, towards NW horizon
3:29am bright mag 0, left of Orion, .2 sec persistent-train
3:41am fast one, mag 3, toward N-NW horizon
3:51am below Orion, mag 2, towards SW horizon
4:00am EM10 cameras, ran out of film. recompose 16mm fisheye (GP)
4:00-4:10am 1st exposure for 16mm fisheye (GP)
4:14am fast, mag 4, left of Orion
4:22am started "chopped roll" on 16mm fisheye (EM10)
4:35am fast, bright mag 1, towards S horizon, between Orion &
Taurus
4:37am towards S. horizon, mag 0
Appendix 2 Exposure times for meteor photography w/3rd quarter moon
ccmlt wrote:
> Hi all !
>
> I just come back from the photographer's shop with the last night
> photos.
>
> If you permit, I would like to give some advices in order you do not
> the same errors than me !
>
> I took photos with a 24 mm lens FD 2.8 and fuji film superia 800 on
> fixed tripod.
> I tried 2, 3, 5, 8, and 11 minutes exposure.
> Limiting mag of the sky was 5.7.
>
> 1 exposure time is no longer a problem, as the sky background is
> almost the same with 2 minutes than
> 11 minutes ...
> There is only a few differences ... So maybe is it a good choice to
> shot à 8-10 minutes until ther
> is great activity in order to save film ...
>
> 2 moon is a big problem. There was an halo on the photos with or
> without moon on the photos (moon
> just out of the photo I mean). The halo extend sometimes to one third
> of the image ! If possible,
> take picture only on the opposite side of the sky where the moon is
> not. But, maybe for artistic
> purpose, a halo with a great meteor on the same picture will be nice !
> Try it !
>
> 3 only a leonid mag - 1 was recorded but appears very bright with
> naked eye and almost invisible on
> the photo. There was 2 sporadics mag +1 not recorded.
>
> I just put these images (the mag -1 2000 Leonid, and the photo index)
> on a special webpage. So if
> you are interested by this "one night before" test, please go to
>
> http://www.astrosurf.com/carnets-astronome
> And follow the link "nouveau- new" on the home page.
>
> Best regards and ...clear sky !
> Christophe
>
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