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Re: (meteorobs) Splashing around Aquarius
In a message dated 8/6/2003 5:27:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
bmccurdy@telusplanetdot net writes:
> ust two minutes later I experienced a very peculiar sight that I keep
meaning
> to ask my friends on meteorobs about, a suspected sighting of a "dark
meteor".
> It resembled a photographic negative, a dark streak also emanating from
Job'
> s Coffin passing in front of the Milky Way, which is presumably the only
> place where such an apparition could be seen. This is maybe the fourth that
I
> have spotted in all my years of meteor watching, and every time I rub my
eyes
> and ask myself if I'm seeing things. So, am I?
>
Bruce:
Nice report. I occasionally see one and I've concluded that they
are floaters. The reason is that for whatever reason I once turned
down the lights and the planetarium where I work, let my eyes
dark-adapt and then observed (with the meteor projector off!). I
saw one. Further "obsering" in the planetarium resulted in a slight
reddish tint to one, and I realized that this may have been from the
"exit" light. I turned all down, and the sky brightness and maybe
once ever y15 mins or so I see one.
Also I have noted a class of extremely fast, very dim (maybe mag 6)
"meteors", usually seen at the periphery of the field of view. I don't
know what these are but I've learned to ignore these, they seem to
be more prevalent if I've stood up and sat down, or moved my head
around.
Clear skies,
Bob Young
State Museum of Pennsylania Planetarium
Harrisburg, PA
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