[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Orionids Oct 21 Austin Texas
Due to time/sleep constraints I was again on Mt. Bonnell (30.321N,
97.773W, 270m), a hilltop park site within Austin. It again
rated Bortle scale Class 7, LM 4.5-5.0 -- but closer this morning
to +4.5 than to +5.0 due to the fog being somewhat less thin than
yesterday morning. I watched in an area in Taurus higher up than
Saturn and Aldebaran.
October 20/21, 2001 (Oct 21 UTC; times via radio WWV/WWVH)
10:18-10:34, .27 Teff, 0 ORI, 1 SPO
10:35-10:41, .10 Teff, 1 ORI, 1 SPO
10:43-10:55, .20 Teff, 2 ORI, 0 SPO
10:57-11:17, .33 Teff, 2 ORI, 1 SPO
Total 0.90 Teff, 5 ORI, 3 SPO
I stopped with less than an hour Teff due to starting late and
the fog thickening, as well as astronomical twilight beginning.
Magnitudes
ORI: #1= +3; #2= -1; #3= +4; #4= +3; #5= -1
SPO: #1= +0; #2= +3; #3= -1
SPO #2 may have been a Taurid; it was short and pretty much
entirely within Taurus, going west to east.
For a while a lonely, noisy tomcat was hanging around (no
mountain lions in Austin that I know of!), and I was a little
distracted with concern that he would "mark" my radio or
briefcase or lawn chair.
These last two mornings are good examples of why we need to
*emphasize* that a dark sky is *required* in order to see
very many meteors. It seems to me it's rarely emphasized
enough in general media stories, leading of course to
members of the public frequently being disappointed when
they try to see meteors.
Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexasdot edu - Austin, Texas, USA
The archive and Web site for our list is at http://www.meteorobs.org
If you are interested in complete links on the upcoming LEONIDS, see:
http://www.meteorobs.org/storms.html
To stop getting email from the 'meteorobs' list, use the Web form at:
http://www.meteorobs.org/subscribe.html