Greetings group:
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Thanks Kevin for your reply with the woes of impact capture. While I did make a series of video's the day before maximum of the Perseids, they were the worse
yet I've done using the VTI. As you say glare can be bad, or just fine.
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While I described myself as long-time watcher, I thought to keep things simple and try to hook someone, not having the slightest idea if the equipment the group has
had any chance for success. I have been watching occultations since the late 1970's. While using an article from Sky and Telescope, actually reporting
to David Dunham my "results" thinking I was successful in what is recorded as the first even predicted occultation ever observed. While I talked to David Dunham I am
sure he does not remember me being hundreds of miles off the path do not appear in any text. But the teenager was there never the less. As a visual observer I've observed
1286 asteroids, and published a few mail bulletins, and ran a program for the ALPO for publishing suggested revised H values for 15 years, which even included professional observatories looking?
for research targets. My work with my 12.5" telescope reached as faint as Mv 15.7, but that was in the 90's, long gone skies around here. We had a hard time
getting observers as our cut off magnitude was Pluto's, any brighter, too bright!
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I decided to contact the group because of the lone wolf impact observer.? The reason I was successful with my H values project, was realizing modern e-mail could update
the minor planet bulletin format of annual publishing of H values in error. Some of these were not H values errors, but magnitude errors by rotations seen, but not followed up on.
Magnitude alert bulletins allowed many observers to add their observations and refine these figures, greatly expanding value. And more work allowed rotational studies too.
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While I kept at it with occultations, Brad Timerson told me the area I was reporting from was considered "observer-less" by IOTA, but I thought lone wolf.? Did think. Your group has
turned that around.
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The impact project is in much the state that the minor planet bulletin publishing was years ago, no working as a team when needed. These impact windows might come along
once or twice a year, with rotten weather we have and other observational challenges. They may get observations from many international observers, but no local groups
who know and talk to each other. I recorded this shower with my 1979 Celestron 8 while watching visually with a 6" f/8 reflector. Another Vermont astronomical society club member
watched visually at the same time, and recorded a suspect that of course fell in a gap that I was re-positioning the C-8. I spotted a suspected cosmic ray, which indeed did not record
in my video of that time. Just pulling two people together "occulted" the work of the impact section.?
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Despite all the problems, this program is part of my "stealing moon rocks" projects, observing that time and lack of good weather allows this century.?
Stealing clear skies for whatever a view might be present at the time. My 6" reflector was given to me free, rescued from a dump trip by a friend who was cleaning
his new house. An ORION XT6 that required a 20 cent piece to restore. Oh, the stool I sit on viewing, a cobble together of two broken ones tossed out at work taken apart
to make one. A plop down telescope ready to steal any night, and addition to ones work at a level one might not suspect.?
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I would never suggest big money to go after impacts, but visually stealing moons rocks, I very much do suggest telescopes one might think of as little
use. When I called around to try to find my XT6 part, I did indeed find the place that sold them, just to have the person go into a tirade about original owners
only could buy parts, and he as sitting on 100's of parts he could not sell. He told me to toss the telescope, good thing I did not.?
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Really, I do not know how much visual work people do these days, but a side project like this will go along much better as a group rather than
just another lone wolf campaign. On a?T CrB NOVA watch?? I get a kick out of this "once in a lifetime" promoted. I was an independent spotter
of NOVA 1975 Cygnus, no charts, just a look in the sky. Just a few months before being asked to help out teaching basic astronomy under the stars?
with my own telescope at a local college observatory. Just two people, with a 16 year old high school junior having to "hide" in the dark as just someone
"Just here to help out", when asked (many times) if I was a college student. Those two people hosted star parties led to a lot under the stars.?
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Clear Skies
Lawrence Garrett
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catch this smokey moon two days ago?? 90mm ETX telescope.
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