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(meteorobs) Re: meteors and lunar eclipse



We had a semi-clear sky for the eclipse last night.  There were brief cloudy
periods but it always cleared off within a few minutes.  I saw four casual
meteors and Joan saw two.  We both got the first one, a pale yellow Scorpiid
that lasted 3 seconds.  Due to the irregular cloudiness I am not counting
the meteors for any official rates.  The sky LM reached 7.0 during totality,
helped by clouds over the urban area to our west.

The eclipse was yet another dark one.  More colorful than 2000 Jan but not
spectacular.  Deepest in the umbra was very dark, Danjon 0.0.  I could
barely see the moon's limb.  The brightest edge was 2.0.  I would rate it
overall as 1.0.  Coloring was dark amber ranging to pale dim yellow, then
pale blue just inside the shadow.. Joan was unable to see these colors,
calling it ivory.   Has the atmosphere permanently murked up?  Around here
it certainly has, few days with blue sky any more, and nothing like it was
30 or more years ago.  I haven't seen a bright eclipse since 1975, the last
in a series of bright ones.  We can't blame this latest one on any major
volcanic eruption.

Norman



Norman W. McLeod III
Staff Advisor
American Meteor Society

Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com

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