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(meteorobs) Geminids casual obs ( South Australia )
Hi All
I know i could be seriously unpopular for continuing to post these group
meteor reports with huge irregular time bins. But until we get a talking
clock and portable tape recorder, we're a little reluctant to turn what has
always been the most relaxing and fun form of skywatching we do
( and it did start out as a relaxing hobby! ), and have done for years, into
( that four letter word ) WORK.... ( If your serious that we have to look at
the same patch of sky for hours on end - we would need to be in straight
jackets tied to a hannibal lecter type sack truck to do that- our heads are
nearly capable of a 360 degree turn as it is now !! - almost owl like !! )
Plus sometimes we are doing other astro related stuff, photography and
'scope-ing and just general space-rubbernecking as well on some of these
nights ( after travelling all the way to a dark site risking life and limb
[nearly hit a 'roo *again* on last sat morn'!!! ... i'm sure everyone
everywhere has got their version of a 'roo where-ever they live in the
world! (deer-bears-elephants-pedestrians-aardvarks ect.?) :) ] we really
cant be blamed for that surely? ).
If that sounds like whining from me - you are correct ;) no disrespect
intended to the many real astronomers of all kinds out there who might find
our whinging insulting, after they have risked and devoted 10 to the power
of 9 times, more effort and time and everything than we will ever have done
or will do, i suspect .
And obviously i do realise the hard working, serious observers and analysts
provide the statistics, data & so forth, that enables us lazier types and
everyone else to view and enjoy these wonderful showers/storms and be
assured of easy success.
PLUS i nearly had a revolt on my hands when i tried to tell the other
members of our group what is exactly involved in a scientifically useful
meteor report ( thanks to the many, many excellent and highly informative
postings to this list ) ..they thought i was making it up!! .
And kind of technically we all individually ( in the group ) do see nearly
all the meteors in our report totals, as we will all alert the others to a
meteor and its position in the sky ..with a now super reflexive
scream/yell/comment/grunting (depending on scale of meteor quality ) that is
an entirely physically involuntary response usually anyway.
So here it is after much babbling from me..
Geminid meteor shower dec 13th 2002 UT
Group count - 3 present
Location east of Adelaide, Australia near 139 E -34.7 S
LM was in the 6 - 7 range all night till astronomical twilight
15:50 - 16:10 UT 7 GEM
16:10 - 16:30 12 GEM
16:30 - 16:48 missing?
16:48 - 17:12 18 GEM
17:12 - 17:30 12 GEMS
17:30 - 17:54 17 GEMS
shower died down abruptly with twilight approaching (we missed a quiet a few
meteors due to photographing a lot of stuff during that time)
saw a nice mag 0 GEM from NW to SSW at 17:25 UT
and a double skip mag 1 bolide GEM heading NE low on northern horizon at
17:56 UT
as well as plenty of great classic Geminid's amongst them all.
The shower was well under way when we arrived at 15:50 UT.
also a report from a member of the group driving home from a sober working
night at around 4:30 am local time the following Sunday morning (18:00 UT
14th dec ) to his house in a rural town near Adelaide. Of seeing many
fireballs ( hes pretty confident they were Geminids..) They were so bright
they caught his attention while driving and continued to see them till 5:00
am into the dawn when he arrived at his home and got out the car ( he says
he saw at least around a dozen fire balls during that half hour period )
Regards
Kearn Jones
PS I wont post any more obs till i get the clock and recorder - i promise.
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