Results of the IMO Video Meteor Network - May 2004
==================================================
Every year, May and June belong to the months with the smallest effective
observing time. The weather is better than in winter, but due to shorter
nights it is hardly possible for an observer to obtain more than a hundred
hours of observing time. Also in 2004, the effective observing time in May
decreased to the low value of the cloud-rich January and February. Fewer
than 600 meteors even mark the absolute minimum for this year. In the previous
months we recorded quite constantly between 650 and 750 meteors.
Joerg Strunk was operating his Mintron camera for some nights in Namibia. The
outcome was somewhat disappointing, though. Two years ago, he managed to
record more than hundred meteors each night with the image intensified camera
AKM2. This year he got under perfect skies no more meteors than under central
European conditions. It seems, that even the most sensitive video cameras are
working at maximum gain under the usual European consitions, such that darker
skies give no further gain in limiting magnitude and meteor numbers. On the
other hand, image intensified cameras are easily saturated in Europe and
achieve their full performance only under really dark skies.
1. Observers
============
Code Name Place Camera FOV LM Nights Time Meteors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVAST Evans Moreton RF1 (1.2/12) 20 dg 4 mag 8 34.0 h 37
KACJA Kac Kostanjevec METKA (0.8/8) 42 dg 2 mag 11 53.9 h 49
MOLSI Molau Seysdorf AKM1 (0.85/25) 32 dg 6 mag 11 54.7 h 93
MINCAM1 (1.4/12) 35 dg 4 mag 18 101.9 h 109
SLAST Slavec Ljubljana KAYAK1 (1.8/28) 50 dg 4 mag 10 53.3 h 102
STRJO Strunk Leopoldshoehe MINCAM2 (0.8/8) 42 dg 4 mag 18 46.2 h 79
MINCAM3 (0.8/6) 55 dg 3 mag 7 69.2 h 92
YRJIL Yrjola Kuusankoski FINEXCAM (0.8/6) 38 dg 4 mag 9 24.7 h 21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sum 30 437.9 h 582
2. Observing Times (h)
======================
May 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVAST - - - - - 5.1 - - - - - - - 4.2 3.7
KACJA 5.0 6.0 - - - - - 5.4 - - - - - 3.5 -
MOLSI 6.0 - - - - - - - - 3.9 4.6 - - - -
6.0 2.7 0.6 - - - 6.9 - - 7.2 7.2 - - - -
SLAST 3.1 7.1 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
STRJO - 0.5 - 0.5 - - - 0.7 - - 0.5 - - 4.0 -
- - - - - - - - 9.3 - - - - - 8.8
YRJIL 2.4 3.7 - - 3.2 2.8 2.0 - 3.2 - 2.7 2.8 - - -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sum 22.5 20.0 0.6 0.5 3.2 7.9 8.9 6.1 12.5 11.1 15.0 2.8 - 11.7 12.5
May 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVAST 4.6 3.8 - - - 4.3 - - - - - - - 4.1 4.2 -
KACJA - - 6.0 5.3 4.6 6.2 - 4.9 - 1.6 5.4 - - - - -
MOLSI 6.5 6.0 2.7 - - - - - 4.2 5.6 - - 3.8 5.7 5.7 -
6.7 6.9 6.8 6.8 2.7 - 4.6 6.6 4.8 6.4 - - 6.4 6.3 6.3 -
SLAST 4.5 - - - 6.5 2.3 - 6.6 5.7 6.5 5.5 - - - 5.5 -
STRJO 5.2 1.9 5.1 5.0 - 4.8 1.7 - 4.6 2.6 1.4 0.6 4.4 1.2 - 1.5
- 10.1 - 10.1 10.1 10.7 10.1 - - - - - - - - -
YRJIL 1.9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sum 29.4 28.7 20.6 27.2 23.9 28.3 16.4 18.1 19.3 22.7 12.3 0.6 14.6 17.3 21.7 1.5
3. Results (Meteors)
====================
May 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVAST - - - - - 6 - - - - - - - 5 1
KACJA 10 4 - - - - - 3 - - - - - 4 -
MOLSI 5 - - - - - - - - 10 8 - - - -
5 4 2 - - - 6 - - 6 6 - - - -
SLAST 3 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
STRJO - 2 - 1 - - - 2 - - 1 - - 5 -
- - - - - - - - 13 - - - - - 11
YRJIL 5 3 - - 3 3 2 - 1 - 2 1 - - -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sum 28 23 2 1 3 9 8 5 14 16 17 1 - 14 12
May 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVAST 2 2 - - - 5 - - - - - - - 3 13 -
KACJA - - 3 3 3 7 - 8 - 1 3 - - - - -
MOLSI 12 12 2 - - - - - 5 9 - - 10 9 11 -
4 8 5 13 2 - 3 7 4 8 - - 6 9 11 -
SLAST 2 - - - 9 2 - 18 17 18 13 - - - 10 -
STRJO 10 4 8 7 - 6 4 - 6 5 4 2 7 2 - 3
- 14 - 12 18 11 13 - - - - - - - - -
YRJIL 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sum 31 40 18 35 32 31 20 33 32 41 20 2 23 23 45 3
Sirko Molau, 2004/06/19