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(meteorobs) Re: Beware! Meteor Hunting Questions!

Mark and All,

here are answers to you questions:

Mark Fox wrote:

> 1.  Is it preferred to use an official report form
> when recording a person's meteor hunts rather than a
> "customized" form which may seem a bit primitive, but
> nevertheless, serve the same purpose as a standard
> one? This is assuming the personally designed form
> contains a good portion of the same data as the other.
> 
While it is preferred that one use an official report other reports will
certainly not be rejected. The use of an "official report" is suggested
as it contains all of the necessary information needed for us to
complete a thorough scientific analysis.
> 
> 2.  Speaking of important data, what would be the most
> crucial observation information in any report?   When
> meteor reporting, I get a tad frustrated when I start
> getting detailed with my observations.  After all,
> meteor hunting is supposed to be a relatively relaxing
> hobby!
> 
The most important data that one can record is the number of Leonids
seen in each observing period. By all means don't let observing become a
chore! A great majority of the folks watching next weekend will be doing
it just for the fun of it. Most of them are not aware or don't care that
they could add to our knowledge of the shower simply by counting what
they see. By joining this list you obviously seek more knowledge about
this event and others that occur each year. You can help us increase the
knowledge of this shower by recording the number of Leonids seen per
hour/minute, depending on the activity level. This need not be a chore!
Just a simple pencil and paper pad will do. Other creative observers
will be using portable cassette recorders so they don't have to take
their eyes off the sky. Record as much data as possible without making
it a chore. Beyond the counts here are other parameters in order of
importance: limiting magnitude per period, obstructions such as clouds,
hills or buildings, the magnitude of each meteor, persistent train 
duration, the number of sporadic (random) meteors seen, time of each
meteors appearance, speed, color and length.

> 3.  Sadly, I have recently lost a couple of star books
> (perfect timing!) and I am wondering on where I can
> quickly obtain a star chart that includes stars
> labeled by the Greek alphabet with preferably
> easy-to-use sky coordinates.  I have already tried
> printing out one of the star charts on Sky&Telescope's
> web site with not the best of luck.   Of course, with
> such a labeled chart, calculating the LM, describing
> the path length of meteors, finding meteor shower
> radiants, etc. would be a lot more relaxing.

You might try the "Heavens Above" Web Page. While this is mainly a
source for observing satellites there is also a wealth of other
information available such as charts of each constellation. Just enter
your location name or geographical coordinates to enter this web site.
The address is: http://www.heavens-above.com/
> 
> 4.  Lastly, does the Milky Way hamper the limiting
> magnitude and/or isn't necessarily an indicator of
> high LM?  If I observed right, the sky seemed clearer
> a few nights ago when the Milky Way band wasn't
> visible, maybe by as much as one full magnitude.
> 
The Milky Way does not hamper viewing. The better one can see the Milky
Way the better the sky conditions. There are times when the sky is
"hazy" with starlight when the limiting magnitude exceeds +6.5. While a
dark sky with an LM near +6.0 may appear more impressive you will
certainly see more meteor activity when the limiting magnitude exceeds
+6.5. One must also remember that with a better limiting magnitude
features such as the Gegenschein and the zodiacal band come into view,
giving the sky a somewhat hazy appearance.

Clear Skies Everyone!
Bob Lunsford
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