021207 - Harperrig

[G1ZmO]

Site: Harperrig Reservoir

Date/Time: 02/12/07 20:30-22:30

Paul Stephen, Gary Anderson

Cold, damp with some high cloud

Notes: Fireball at 20:41 through Cygnus

Clouded out by 22:30

6/7 stars visible in the square of Pegasus giving LM of around 5.5

Targets found:

Comet Holmes

NGC457 Owl/ET cluster in Cass

M31/110 in Andromeda

Mars

M36,37,38 in Auriga (Open Clusters)

NGC7662 Blue Snowball in Andromeda (Planetary Nebula)

Failed to locate NGC1931 in Auriga

Short report. Just like the session. Cloud put an end to it as usual GAH!

Cheers

Paul

[barkis]

Nice to read your report Paul, curtailed as it was. The fireball must have been a talking point. Which direction was it moving, any estimate on it's magnitude, and did it leave a vapour trail that you could see for a particular length of time.

I know these events are very sudden and unexpected, so a lot of what happens does not register. I'm sure you would have mentioned most of these had you mentally noted them. Must have been exciting though. Pity the clouds decided to spoil the session.

Ron.

[Albireo380]

And I was just 25 miles NW from you Paul - I wondered how you guys got on down at Herperigg. For me it was:

Site: Drymen (Garabhan Forest)

Date/Time: 02/12/2007 18:20-20:50

Equipment: LX90 (8"), WOMegrez II SD (80mm), 15x70 Bins

Notes: Fireball just east of Cygnus (heading east-west) at 19:35 + two shooting stars in same area later (no record of time)

Clouded over at 20:40

Cold, damp, no breeze, slight high cloud - Lots of dew - temperature rose from 0 degrees to +2 over the observing session

Targets found:

LX90: M35, 36, 37, 38, 42, 81 & 82, Mars

WO: M45, Double Cluster, Comet Holmes

15x70s: M31, 35, 42, 45, Double Cluster, Comet Holmes

Comet Holmes still naked eye visible (easily), but more diffuse than 3 weeks ago.

Piggy backed DSLR on HEQ5 and took 22 x 90 sec + 3 x 130 sec WA images of Deneb area (at 32mm) - nice NA Nebula.

Cloud partly clear again by the time I got home (9.50pm)

Tom

[dogfish]

Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves. Sick as a parrot of the green variety . Must get my mount fixed, but I've been really busy, even at the weekends. I'll try and test it indorrs tonight and if it's still not moving in dec, ring Adam Hinds.

Hope to join you next time out.

Cheers, Martin

[G1ZmO]

Yea, report was rather brief. I was really tired by the time I got home.

The fireball in Cygnus:

West to East at 20:41

Approx mag? Hmm -3? (What do you think Gary?)

It left a trail approx the width of Cygnus and took about 3 or 4 seconds from start to finish

I agree with Tom that Comet Holmes was much more diffuse than I saw it last. Barely any discernable core.

It was nice and clear again by the time I got back home but I was too knackered to go back up to my local site.

Anyone with toddlers who get up at 05:30 / 06:00 EVERY SINGLE DAY will appreciate how tired you can get. lol

Cheers

Paul