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(meteorobs) Obs. 02-27/28-04 East GA



      This morning's observation were under an ideal +6.5 sky,
the transparency of which really set the stage for one of the most memorable
meteors I have yet to see -- a spectacular earthgrazing sporadic that
apparently exited the atmosphere, and which was probably the longest
duration meteor I have ever seen.
      It was quite cold but not as breezy as last weekend, so I was actually
a tad bit more comfortable this morning.  Rates were a little better, too,
with 25 meteors seen in two hours, from 3:36 to 5:37 AM local time.
Before the earthgrazer appeared, the most interesting meteor was a +5 DLE
that was quite brief and foreshortened near the radiant.  Most of the
brighter meteors were very brief.
     Near the end of my watch, I caught a glimpse of a brighter meteor
peripherally from the north, directly behind me.  I arched back and looked up,
and the show began.  Perhaps this slow moving meteor had been at 0 magnitude
when I first looked up and saw it, in southern Draco, but as it passed through
Corona Borealis -- moving *very, very* slowly -- it settled into a +1 magnitude
and for the rest of its flight, it never varying from that. I got a great view of it, 
as it crawled across the sky, with a one-to-three degree wake, and a very
distinct head.  As it continued, my jaw began to drop -- this one wasn't
about to fade out!  As it, finally, approached western Scorpio, it
seemed to slow just a bit and the tail/wake shortened until, when it
reached Lupus, it was a point meteor sitting motionless in that
constellation!  An amazing sight! It hung, an univited guest star, in Lupus for another
three seconds, at least.  All in all, I'd guess the meteor lasted a good
12-15 seconds!!! I observed it travel at least 90 degrees; who knows how
northerly it was when it first appeared in the sky.  It was quite wide and distinctly
yellow, with the slightest hint of a train, perhaps, behind the wake.
    My impression was that as the meteor dropped down to near my "eye level"
along the horizon, the *dramatic* foreshortening to a point showed it's path back out into
space...I was especially well placed as the meteor had passed directly
overhead!    
***********************************************************
OBSERVER: Kim S. Youmans (YOUKI) DATE: 02-27/28-2004
BEGIN:  08:36 UT  END 10:37UT
LOCATION: Treutlen Co, Ga. 82. 24' 25" W; 32. 24' 45" N
METHOD: Tape Elev. 240 ft
Facing South, sky 0% Obscured
No Breaks down time 1 minute (P2)
 Sol Long 339.076 Mid Session FOV 14hr05 +18
Total(25) SPO(15) NAPX(4) SAPX(2) ANT(2) DLE(2)

Period 1 08:36-09:36 UT   SPO(8)  NAPX(1) SAPX(1) DLE(2)
Dead time = 0 min, Teff = 1.00 LM= 6.49 F= 1.0
Sol Long. 339.064  FOV Mid period  13hrs 40 +20
 
Period 2 09:36-10:37 UT   SPO(7) SAPX(1) NAPX(3) ANT(2)
Dead time = 0 min, Teff = 1.00 LM= 6.61 F= 1.0
Sol Long. 339.106 FOV Mid period  14hr 40 +16
Dead time = 1 minute

Showers Observed
SPO                (15)
DLE                  (2)           11:28  +15
TCE                  (0)           15:00 -47
NAPX              (4)           16:36  -07
SAPX               (2)           16:36  -37
ANT(VIR)        (2)           11:36  +02

Star Counts (older IMO charts)
      IMO 11,12 (both periods)
 
Magnitude Distribution
P1
NAPX(1)                                             +4(1)
SAPX(1)                                              +4(1)
DLE  (2)                         +2(2)                       +5(1)
SPO  (8)               +1(1) +2(2)  +3(3)   +4(2)

P2
NAPX(3)                        +2(2)             +4(1)
SAPX(1)                         +2(1)  +3(1)
ANT(2)                           +2(1)             +4(1)
SPO(7)         0(1)  +1(1) +2(2)             +4(2) +5(1)

Meteor Data
P1
      Time    Shower    Mag.   Speed (0-5)
1.   08:44   ANT     (3)   Speed  (4)
2.   08:47   ANT     (1)   Speed  (3)
3.   08:53   SPO     (4)   Speed  (4) train
4.   09:01   SPO     (2)  Speed   (3)
5.   09:02   SPO     (5)  Speed   (2) very brief train
6.   09:04   SPO     (3)  Speed  (2)
7.   09:05   SPO     (4)   Speed  (2)very brief
8.   09:15   SPO     (2)   Speed  (3)  train
9.   09:17   NAPX  (4)   Speed  (4)
10  09:22   SPO      (2)  Speed  (3)
11  09:22   NAPX   (3)   Speed  (3)
12  09:30   SPO      (4)  Speed  (4)
 
P2
13  09:37  SPO       Mag  (3)   Speed  (4)
14  09:38   SPO      Mag  (0)  Speed  (2)   very brief/train
15  09:41   NAPX   Mag  (2)  Speed  (2)
16  09:58   ANT     Mag  (5)  Speed  (3)
17  09:59   SPO     Mag  (4)   Speed  (3)
18  10:09   TCE     Mag  (3)   Speed  (3)
19  10:10   TCE     Mag  (4)   Speed  (3)
20  10:11   SPO     Mag  (2)   Speed  (5)  very brief
21  10:21   ANT     Mag  (2)   Speed  (5)
22  10:23   NAPX  Mag  (1)   Speed  (1)  see notes below
23  10:24   SPO     Mag  (4)   Speed  (4)
24  10:25   NAPX  Mag  (2)   Speed  (3)   very brief
25  10:32   SPO     Mag  (2)   Speed  (4)   train
 
1.  Meteor # 22 first seen coming from Draco through Corona Borealis,
passed west of Scorpio into Lupus becoming a point meteor.
Observed path length, app 90 degrees. Mag. +1.
Very slow speed; < 1.  Little if any flaring.  Yellow