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(meteorobs) Bob Lunsford's Suggestions/Help & Nov. 19/20 Correction

November 26, 2003

Greetings Robert Lunsford and Fellow Meteor
Enthusiasts!

Thank you very much for taking the time out to answer
all of those questions and for your thoughtful
suggestions!

Quickly, in regards to recording my LM, I had listed
the wrong times for the November 19/20 hunt.  They
should be the following: 

 LIMITING MAGNITUDE:

                    AVERAGE
             STAR     STAR
 TIME        AREA    COUNT    LM

 7:06         4        7+    5.1+
 7:06         8        9     5.5
 7:27         4        7+    5.1+
 7:27         8      ~10     5.9
 7:50         4       ~8    ~5.3
 7:50         9        6       -

 MEAN LIMITING MAGNITUDE: ~5.4
----------------------------------------------------

Whew! That looks better than 0:00 or 1:00 UT!

As for my obstructions, (a bothersome problem and task
to record properly) I can't do a whole lot about it. 
I live in a woods at the edge of a lake.  The trees
are thick all around.  I do try to find the best spots
when observing (within reason) and do admit I probably
overestimate the blockage since I can see a bit
through the trees.  I will have to think about,
perhaps a better solution...  

I'll try to get you the scoop on the atomic clock in
more detail later.  I got it as a gift and was "very"
enthralled about it.  I was going to tell the list but
I never got to it.  It cost maybe $20 and used to
light up every time you pressed it, that is, until I
dropped it off a shelf!  I couldn't believe myself.

It looks like I'm lacking time.  Thank you again for
the help!  

Best regards, 

Mark Fox
Newaygo, MI USA  

  
--- Robert Lunsford <lunro.imo.usa@coxdot net> wrote:
> Mark and All,
> 
> Here are answers to your questions and a few
> suggestions:
> 
> 1:15am EST is not too early for the Leonids as the
> radiant should be 25-30
> degrees in elevation. Granted you will normally see
> more activity when the
> radiant is higher but with the numerous predictions
> of enhanced activity one
> should view as soon as the radiant clears the
> horizon.
> 
> Your "outdated" radiant coordinates were probably
> close unless they were a
> week old or more.
> 
> A shower member can appear at any distance from a
> radiant, even zero (point
> meteor). The key is the length of the path. A long
> meteor cannot appear near
> its radiant. A general rule is that a meteor cannot
> appear less than twice
> its path length from its radiant. Therefore a meteor
> five degrees long must
> appear at least ten degrees away from its radiant in
> order to be considered
> a shower member.
> 
> Odds are on November 20 the three meteors you saw
> coming from inside the
> "sickle" were indeed Leonids. If they appeared to
> come from an area to the
> north of the "sickle" then I would have called them
> members of the northern
> apex radiant.
> 
> A fifty percent obstruction is pretty high and
> involves a large correction
> factor. I would suggest making the top of the trees
> the bottom of you field
> of view so that no actual blockage of your field of
> view occurs. Obstruction
> also implies that you cannot see through it which is
> not the case for thin
> clouds. I would suggest making magnitude estimates
> every fifteen minutes to
> more accurately reflect your observing conditions.
> If you would follow these
> suggestions then you would list no obstructions and
> a variable limiting
> magnitude throughout your session.
> 
> I would like to hear more about your portable
> "atomic clock". I may have to
> trade in my talking clock for one of these (if they
> are not too expensive)!
> 
> I hope this helps!
> 
> Bob Lunsford


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