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Re: (meteorobs) Backyard Geminids Were Really Good (14/15 December 2003)!!



Hey Kim and Meteor Observing Comrades!  The Winter Storm that hit our
area on Saturday night and Sunday (all day), cleared on out of Central
Virginia by sunset.  Just before sunset, I noticed some blue sky and
decided that I would make an effort to observe last night.  Very glad
that I did observe, as the Geminids were still quite active, especially
in my first hour of observing.  Results of this two-hour observing
session are as follows:

Date - 14/15 December 2003

Location - 14 miles NNE of Lynchburg, Virginia (rural outskirts of
Madison Heights - Monroe)

Observing Period - 0245 to 0445 UT (2145 to 2345 EST)

[Meteors Seen] - 21 Total

(0245-0345 UT)
        0247        Gem        1.0        Blue
        0254        Gem        2.0        Blue
        0258        Gem        2.0        
        0300        X Ori       4.0 
        0302        Gem        0.0        Blue
        0302        Gem        4.0
        0304        Gem        5.0        
        0308        Gem        -1          Blue-Green
        0312        Gem        2.0        Yellow
        0314        Gem        1.0        Green
        0328        Gem        2.0        Yellow
        0337        Gem        4.0
        0344        Gem        0.0        Blue
                                                              *LM of 6.2
and 50 minutes of Teff*
                        ** Several Cloud Banks went over my observing
area (Taurus to Aries)**
                *** Battling some fatigue and one-third of SSWestern Sky
obscured by House***

(0345-0445 UT)
        0357        Gem        -2        Yellow; 1-second Train
        0359        Gem        4.0        
        0402        Gem        1.0        Blue
        0404        Gem        0.0        Yellow
        0408        Gem        4.0
        0426        Gem        3.0
        0428        Spor        3.0
        0337        Gem        1.0        Yellow

                                        *LM of 6.0 and 52 minutes of
Teff*
              ** Some clouds, bright moon in sky by end of observing
period and more fatigue**

        Certainly would have liked to observe a few more hours, however a
steady westerly breeze 
"kicked-up" and this created quite the wind chill to go along with my
fatigued body.  Did not have access to the usual spot in my large
backyard since it was covered by snow & ice and I would not be able to
drive  the truck out to that preferred spot. Basically, like most of us
here that are sometimes somewhat "meteor-starved," I took what I could
get out and see!  Should my High School (where I teach & coach) have
another snow day tomorrow, I may get out for two or three more hours
tonight.  May not get a chance to observe the Ursid nights (21/22 and
22/23) as I will be in Kendall-South Miami, Florida which as many of You
know, is very light polluted.  However, I might be up to a trip to the
Keys or Everglades for observing on one or both of those nights!
                                In Astronomical Affinity - Felix A.
Martinez

        
On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 07:42:23 -0500 "Kim Youmans" <ksyo@bellsouthdot net>
writes:
>    Last night I observed the post maximum Geminids from my backyard 
> under a
> more limited LM and with more visual obstruction (trees) yet I still 
> had
> fine results in the two hours before the moon became a major 
> nuisance.  A
> double station observation with Paul Jones was scrapped when 
> overcast skies
> remained during the planned hours (7 -9 PM local) but the last of 
> the clouds
> did finally blow out by about 10:00 PM.
>    From about 10:10 PM-12:20 AM local time I observed 58 meteors, 
> the vast
> majority of them Gems including a -5 that was well out of my FOV but 
> still
> managed to catch my eye as it went behind trees in the south.  Rates 
> were
> about 25-28 Gems per hour with LM around 5.4-5.7 and 15% 
> obstruction.  There
> were plenty of brighter Geminids to be seen.  Don't know that I've 
> ever had
> such good rates from my backyard!   The moon was already rising when 
> I
> decided I might need sleep if I planned on working today...I'll post 
> the
> full report as soon as time allows.
> 
> Kim Youmans
> 
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