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(meteorobs) Disappointed Perseid watcher
I've been spoiled by better nights! I went with a group
out to a rural area the night of August 11/12. It was very
pretty, with pre-moonrise LM of at least +5.5 (city-glow
domes to north, east, and south -- not far enough out into
the country). Due to various factors, including getting
very drowsy in spite of having napped Saturday during the
day, early moonrise, and our plan to go home soon after
2:00 a.m. local time, I gave up early with only 25 minutes
Teff (during 5:00-5:29 Aug 12 UTC). I counted only 10
Perseids and 2 sporadics. But I suppose that the ZHR
actually was not too bad, considering how low the radiant
was at the time. Location was 30.32N, 98.255W, 295m. The
following night conditions were not very good.
Must keep things in perspective. I let my expectations
get too high for this year's maximum night, even though I
really knew better.
One positive aside. One of the group set his car radio to
an empty FM frequency and did start reporting hearing the
reflections. That's the first time I've experienced radio
meteor observing.
Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexasdot edu - Austin, Texas, USA
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