Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

This is where you will find information and updates for all MAS Star Parties and Events open to the public.

Moderator: defalkner

Post Reply
User avatar
Ron Schmit
Posts: 1294
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2004 12:41 pm

Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by Ron Schmit »

Will be opening the Onan observatory for the Camelopardalids Meteor Shower:

Eagle Lake Observatory
Baylor Regional Park
Saturday morning, 5/24
12 AM to 3 AM
Everyone welcome!
NathanZ
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 11:55 am
Location: Inver Grove Heights

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by NathanZ »

I'm going to attempt to get my wife out there! It is looking like it is going to be a great night to be out!
heinerv
Posts: 475
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:21 pm
Real Name: Vic Heiner

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by heinerv »

Some of us are headed down to CGO. It will be interesting to see who lucks out with the best skies.
User avatar
Ricola
Posts: 379
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:31 am
Real Name: Ric Heins
Location: Roseville, MN

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by Ricola »

... and some are heading to Crex Meadows in Wisconsin.

I'm still a bit undecided.
User avatar
clayton
Posts: 1363
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:51 pm
Real Name: Clayton Lindsey
Location: Woodbury, MN

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by clayton »

I trying to finish up staining my deck, then off to CGO. Doubt I will make to early morning.
Clayton Lindsey
User avatar
Deane Clark
Posts: 2446
Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: Mpls

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by Deane Clark »

Well, at least there weren't any bugs or dew.....OR METEORS.

It was a gorgeous night at ELO, but if anything, there were fewer meteors than on a night when you aren't expecting any. I saw zero. I heard other people saw about two. It was hazy but mostly clear until around 2:30 when it clouded up pretty solid. Still, the best night so far this year (on a weekend) for astronomy. I'm glad I brought a scope. I got to look at Mars, Saturn, and a few other favorites.

We had a fair number of visitors - the vehicle traffic was running at the rate of one every few minutes for a while. There were people set up with scopes all around the plaza, and there were lines to look through the Onan scopes. Too bad Merle wasn't there to estimate the crowds :) Thanks to Ron for instigating and hosting.
Deane Clark
Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
------------------------
I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
www.aponon.org
heinerv
Posts: 475
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:21 pm
Real Name: Vic Heiner

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by heinerv »

We had very similar experiences at Cherry Grove that Deane had at ELO. We had a nice crowd, probably 20 in all. Kirby R showed us the Panstar comet which was fun. As far as the meteors where concerned, not much. I'm waiting to hear from the group that was in Wis.
User avatar
wkocken
Posts: 1299
Joined: Mon May 17, 2004 8:19 pm
Real Name: Bill Kocken
Location: McGregor
Contact:

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by wkocken »

Similar results at LLCC.
Bill Kocken
16" f4.5 - home built truss design
8"f6 home built dob
102f7 Explore Scientific APO with Ioptron ZEQ25GT mount
4.5 Orion Starblast
60mm Meade ETX
Homemade equatorial platform
w m kocken at gmail dot com
User avatar
Deane Clark
Posts: 2446
Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: Mpls

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by Deane Clark »

I forgot to mention that channel 11 news sent their weather guy out to ELO last night, and they interviewed Ron. The video is available on the KARE-11 app, and I presume on their web site. I hope Ron doesn't mind me mentioning this, since the actual shower was a dud.
Deane Clark
Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
------------------------
I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
www.aponon.org
Enberg
Posts: 612
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:23 pm
Location: Athens, Ohio

Re: Camelopardalids Meteor Shower Viewing Party

Post by Enberg »

Crex Meadows: Six MAS members with scopes plus family members (Cute puppy, Dick!). We had skies that looked clear but this was deceptive as the contrast was not very good and I had little luck hunting galaxies with my 10" dob. I think there was more high haze than we gave it credit for, and the haze and low clouds magnified the local light domes from Grantsburg and ?Hinckley - straight up was the only place I could find anything faint. We watched a shadow transit on Jupiter early on, and had good crisp views of Saturn and Mars as well. The usual sky candy for the season - M13, M57, M101, Albireo etc. Meteors - we as a group saw two fireballs and about a dozen ordinary meteors. Some of us didn't see either of the two fireballs, but fortunately for me I saw the first one. The radiant was pretty much as predicted - the meteors I saw, all but one were on vectors from the right spot. But clearly not a dazzling performance by the meteors......Clouds around the edges to the west and south, and later it clouded up. We heard loons as well as many other birds and frogs and such. No dew - the viewing area is a dirt parking lot on a local high spot. We packed up and left between 2:30 and 3:00.
Master Observer
Orion XT10 dob
Orion StarBlast 4.5" f4 on a Dwarfstar alt-az mount
Vortex 10 x 56 binocs
Orion 150mm f12 MakCas
Post Reply