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Re: (meteorobs) Plotting: Three Stooges Method
Kim>>>I turn on the red light, and in order to free up my hands for
plotting,
hold the light in my mouth. I get stung on the tongue by an ant. I
spit the ant and several grains of sand out, then return to the chart.<<<
Hi Kim,
Been there, done that. Now I dip my flashlight in Amdro, or diesel fuel and
lindane works pretty well too! ;) No, I still hold my light in my
mouth...or under the chin...old habits are hard to break.
Kim>>>just as the cat jumps on my lap and all my tools get scattered.<<<
I have used several methods to prevent this. Currently I have a 48 quart
cooler with a hinged lid. Inside, it has one of those plastic "shelves"
used to keep your Vienna Sausages off the ice. I use that shelf as a storage
area for various items. For the most part it works pretty good. The main
part of the cooler has gloves, Deep Woods Off, Moon Pies, spare batteries,
etc.
Kim>>>A magnitude -7 fireball appears while I am looking down to gather up
my pencil, chart, ruler and recorder.<<<
This never happens to me while plotting. But when I am standing by the bush,
looking at my feet and drawing pictures in the sand, fireballs bright enough
to cause sunburn always happen directly behind me. All I ever see of these
fireballs are the blinded owls hitting the side of my truck.
Kim>>>...not being able to accurately predict the radiant drift for various
minor shower radiants due to the inadequacies of my charts.<<<
Is Petersons the only charts you have? There are general star charts
available that should do the trick if needed. To change RA and Dec to
degrees, or degrees to RA and Dec, all you need is N. Howard's book "The
Telescope Handbook and Star Atlas" which has an excellent conversion chart.
I have a copy of the table if you need me to mail you one.
Kim>>>Also, do I need to join a guild or a lodge to get the secret
information contained within those plotting charts?<<<
You need a copy of the IMO handbook as others have mentioned. I have heard
IMO hopes to put together a third edition, but don't have any idea when. You
might keep an eye out for used copies at the various online used bookstores.
I am always searching them for stuff I don't have, so I will keep an eye out
for a copy and let you know if I find one.
Mark
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