Home Forums RAC Main Forum General Discussion Observing tonight? Re: Observing tonight?

#11259
Dean Johnson
Participant

    Wow. Eagle Bluff was spectacular last night. I think we had eleven people show up. I'll have to check my journal. Right after Randy showed one of the most distant objects in the solar system (Pluto), we got a treat from one of the nearest phenomena in the solar system. The Aurora Borealis. They entertained us off and on all night. The Pleadies, Jupiter, the Moon, Venus and Aldebaran/Hyades conjunction was also a beautiful thing to see. 🙂

    The humidity was a minor problem, but we had some great northern lights and a quite a few meteors. The last one was the best. At 4 a.m. the aurora was making one last curtain call. I said to Jerome and Barb, "Let's run up on the big bank" (across the road to the south). At 4:04 a.m., Jerome ducked. Ellenvega caught the first glimpse of a fantastic meteor going from east of Casseopia all the way west of Vega in Lyra. Jerome said that at first he thought it was a firefly going right over our heads. It was green, mag. -7, and left a trail one half a degree wide that lasted for a full TWO MINUTES. Jerome timed the whole thing. It was amazing! 8) One thing that I left out was that all 3 of us heard a sizziling or crackling sound as the meteor zoomed by overhead. That was astounding!