Gegenschein + Taurid Meteor Watch!!!

Hi all

Conor and i had an amazing all night observing session on friday night. We observed from 19.43 - 05.50 local time without a break from my backgarden and then a nearby pitch were we could get a great panoramic view. I began the night with a 2 hour comet hunting session with the 16" F/4.5 Dob searching through clear gaps in the clouds which took me to places all over the sky in a short time sweeping up a variety of deep sky objects. The sky cleared up very well indeed after this T= 7-8, S=5-6, calm, cool, very heavy dew and many fireworks exploding around us. We had a good look at M27 through the 16".

David Asher from Armagh Observatory predicted possible good activity from the Taurid meteor stream in late October - early November so we decided to do an all night watch from the pitch. The milkyway and Dark rfit where prominent and we could see M31, M33, M35, CR89, NGC792, M44, M34 with the naked eye as well as stars to mag 6.5 and that was still with light high level clouds and light mist. We spotted two migrating geese fly by us with there belly and wings lit by the ornage town lights.

At 23.20 i spotted the Gegenschein for the second night in a row very high in the south located in the sky sector between Aries, Cetus and Pisces not far west of brillant Mars. It was visible all night as a very large oval dim green patch of light 15 degrees in diameter with sharp edges. It was really stunning and blocked out the faint naked eye stars in that region of sky!!! It could be held with direct vision with ease though averted vision was needed to enjoy its true elusive extent.

At the beginning of the watch we observed a beautiful Taurid fireball travel from east to west across the sky at a leisurily pace at mag -4.5. It seemed to drop into the western sky like a water drop falling from a tap with a short glowing train, it then fragmented and broke apart while brightening to a stunning green diamond head before it burnt out low in the west. This was the best meteor/fireball we have seen all year!!!! Throughout the rest of the night we seen a total of 70 meteors, we seen a few Orionids, Draconids, Andromedids but nearly all of them where from the Taurid stream. I was very pleased with this count and Conor and i agreded that this has been the most meteors we have seen in one night this year!

We took out the 8" SCT and observed M42,M43,M35 plus companion cluster and Mars which was let down alot by poor seeing. Conor took alot of exposures of the sky imaging regions of the milkyway, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Orion, Beehive and Saturn. Before dawn the sky was covered with eerie orange, red and pink clouds that looked like a Martian dust storm, the sky looked like it was on fire, the bare branches of trees with the firery sky backround combined with ground leaves made the perfect Autumn Halloween atmosphere!! We seen the pearly white ,thin, sharp crescent moon pop out from the murk low in the NE which eneded the session for us. What a great nights observing we had and we certainly will not forget the astronomical sights and eerie dust storm sky!!!!

Clear skies!

I just poped out for a look now and the weather here in Cavan is poo!

The sky is on averahe about 70% overcast and the clouds are just racing by. Needless to say no Geigenschien seen here but in a small gap in the clouds I did see a lovely bright Taurid about as bright as Mars.

I count myself as being quite lucky because I was only out for about 2 minutes till the wind and clouds made me see sense!

Bart.

Martin, Conor,

That sounds like an excellent nights observing. Regarding :-

At the beginning of the watch we observed a beautiful Taurid fireball travel from east to west across the sky at a leisurily pace at mag -4.5. It seemed to drop into the western sky like a water drop falling from a tap with a short glowing train, it then fragmented and broke apart while brightening to a stunning green diamond head before it burnt out low in the west. This was the best meteor/fireball we have seen all year!!!!

I got three reports of seeing a bright fireball that night just before 19:50 here in Kerry. From here it was seen just south of west. Reported to be "way brighter than Venus with a trail and slightly green in colour.

Michael Scully

Im glad others seen it Michael ...what about last nights fireball (see my new thread) ?...any sightings?

A great night Martin,
I was out last night until 4am, and I'm totally wrecked from it, but like yourself, a good nights worth of oberving, you just havent to make the most of it when you can, given the weather we have here