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(meteorobs) POST GEMINID MAX NIGHT FROM CENTRAL VIRGINIA (DEC 14/15)
Finally I have recovered enough from a nasty cold to post the results
from my observations on the evening after Geminid Maximum. The whole
week was cloudy and rainy until it cleared in time for a 5.5 hour
observing session this past Friday evening. On Geminid Max night (DEC
13/14) all we managed to see beside solid lines of clouds was a large
opening that lasted a mere few minutes (2126-2129 EST). At 2128 EST I
did see one meteor - a 2nd Magnitude Yellow Sporadic Meteor that went
exactly at the Geminid Radiant from the west (classify this one as an
Anti-Geminid!).
On 14/15 December, I began my observations at 2220 EST (0320 UT) and
observed until 0350 EST (0850 UT). My totals for this session (by
observing period) are as follows:
Before 2220 EST 2 GEM (1st one was a beautiful Blue -2)
2220-2320 EST 14 GEM 1 MON 1 XOR 3 SPO LM 6.2; .95 Teff
2320-0020 8 GEM 1 MON 1 XOR 1 HYD LM 6.2+; .95 Teff
0020-0120 9 GEM 3 SPO LM 6.2+; .95 Teff
0120-0220 8 GEM 3 HYD 1 XOR 4 SPO LM 6.2+; .90 Teff
0220-0320 8 GEM 3 HYD 6 SPO LM 6.2+; .90 Teff
0320-0350 2 GEM 1 HYD 2 SPO LM 6.2+; .45 Teff
0355 1 GEM (1st Magnitude and Yellow)
The brightest meteor of the session was a -5 Geminid @ 0738 UT (0238 EST)
that I observed over in the western sky (probably seen overhead in West
Virginia). It was an intense blue with a 10 second train. My sky here
at home (about 14 NNE of Lynchburg, Virginia) was a good one, finally
after the rains of this previous week provided for some good
transparency. I also recall seeing some very slow moving meteors that
appeared to have a radiant somewhere in or near Auriga? The two that I
have recorded made the medium speed Geminids look like fast meteors, they
were that slow. It also appeared to me that the Geminids are dropping
off more sharply, right after maximum, than in previous years. I do have
the color and magnitudes of all my meteors seen this session (for anyone
interested), but I would rather keep my reports strictly to the counts
(the majority of observers like to see the rates). Most of my Geminids
of 2nd magnitude and brighter kept to true form for me and produced
intense and sometimes exotic colors.
Now with over 500 meteors seen between the middle of October and the
middle of December, I might only venture out for one more short observing
session (for Ursid Maximum). Beside, I have much to do in order to get
ready to return to active duty for the NAVY. Already 2002 is looking
like a very challenging year, when I may be seeing my meteors from a
different part of the world (many time zones East of here)!
In Astronomical Affinity - Felix A. Martinez
On Sun, 16 Dec 2001 17:20:13 -0500 "Mark Davis" <sc.meteors@home.com>
writes:
> I have posted the observing period summaries at the NAMN website for
> the
> Geminid observations we have received up to this point. Currently,
> it
> includes a little more than 61 hours of observations, with 2,327
> Geminids
> recorded by 18 observers. I will update the listing as new reports
> are
> added.
>
> Clear skies!
>
> Mark Davis, sc.meteors@home.com
> Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA
> Coordinator
> North American Meteor Network (NAMN)
>
> NAMN Website: http://www.namnmeteors.org/
>
>
>
> The archive and Web site for our list is at http://www.meteorobs.org
> If you are interested in complete links on the 2001 LEONIDS, see:
> http://www.meteorobs.org/storms.html
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The archive and Web site for our list is at http://www.meteorobs.org
If you are interested in complete links on the 2001 LEONIDS, see:
http://www.meteorobs.org/storms.html
To stop getting email from the 'meteorobs' list, use the Web form at:
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