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(meteorobs) Meteors S FL USA, GRALE, 16/17 Aug 2001
Gentle readers, I have sadly to relate that last night was my FIRST cirrus-free (and even useable) night since the night of 12/13 Aug. An awful pattern has repeated itself night after night, with a usualy promising clear sky until near midnight, followed by the inevitable swath of milky murk covering the sky from the East, and lasting often to within spitting distance of the dawn.
Pressing family commitments will keep me from completing the last night of my stay in Long Key. So, on what would turn out to be my last night of this year's PER campaign, I determined to battle the clouds and bugs, and come h*ll or high water to have one last full meteor session.
Am I glad I did! Activity was quite brisk, with many faint Sporadics, a few lingering Perseids, and decent rates from all the minor showers. Unfortunately, the rate of "entometeors" (bloodsucking bugs) also turned out to be painfully high!
But as I transcribed my bloodstained meteor log this AM in the scalding tent, I had no regrets: For I had a chance to witness what was
unquestionably the highlight of the night, of this trip, and (if the Leonids fail me this November), perhaps of the year: At 05:57:34 UT, I was looking down recording a nice mag 2 Spor, when I was startled by a floodlight going off just over my right shoulder...
Fear turned to wonder, as my eyes took in the second brightest fireball of *my* lifetime: a -9 NIA (or CAP) in Delphinus, intense blue white, fragmenting 5 times, and with a train lasting between 5 and 60 sec. (Inopportune scud clouds prevented a precise train timing...)
Needless to say, it was worth every bite and every drop of sweat this week, to see this event... Otherwise, cirrus prevented optimal viewing, although for a brief period in mid-session, I did achieve a solid LM of 7.5, when I noted a 22o x 16o Gegenschein in Cap, and 8o wide Zodiacal Band in Psc & Aqr.
0515-0822UT 16/17 Aug 2001
GRALE, Long Key FL USA
Teff=2.68, LM=7.3, F=1.05
Total 82 meteors: Spor 50, PER 12, "Aqr" 1
SDA 3, NDA 5, NIA 5, SIA 2, KCG 2, PAU 2
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