Comet and Meteor Observations - ASSA Bloemfontein Centre

On this page you will find the results of the Comet and Meteor activities of ASSA Bloemfontein Centre. It consists of the observation of comets, the counting of meteor showers and studies of the movements of minor solar bodies.

Comet Observations

Comet Lovejoy C/2007 E2

A new comet has entered the southern skies (March/April 2007). For more details, go to ASSA National's Comet and Meteor section webpage.

Comet McNaught

In January 2007, Comet C/2006 P1 McNaught brightened to become one of the most spectacular comets of the past few decades - far brighter than comet Halley in the 1980's and even brighter than comet Hale-Bopp of the 1990's!

Go to National ASSA's website with comprehensive list of information and photos:
http://assa.saao.ac.za/news/2007jan_mcnaught.html

What you need to do comet reporting

You can make contributions to scientific research by observing comets from your back yard, even from the city...

1) Comet report form
2) Star chart for drawing the comet coma and tail if you so choose
3) Magnitude reference chart (which must be from an acceptable reference source)
4) An acceptable observation instrument (even you're eye can be appropriate under certain circumstances!)
5) Basic traning in comet observation and reporting is essential

Comet and meteor circulars

Use the ASSA Circulars for custom information on the Southern African theatre. (Download the demo version of Skymap - www.skymap.com - for comet trajectories).

Contact details

Please contact the club for more information or ASSA's national director of its Comet and Meteor section, Tim Cooper.

List of comets observed by members and reported on in recent years

Comet LINEAR C/2002 T7 - April/May 2004
Comet NEAT C/2001 Q4 - April/May 2004

Meteor Observations

What you need for meteor reporting:

1) Meteor report form
2) Gnomonic star charts ('curved charts') for drawing path and size of the meteors if the shower allows drawing
3) Magnitude reference charts (which must be from an acceptable reference source - usually already on the Gnomonic charts)
4) No instruments except the naked eyes are required
5) Basic traning in meteor counting and reporting is essential

Meteor Showers

Please consult the 2007 Sky Guide Africa South (handbook) for a complete list of 2006 showers - page 75

Meteor showers counted and reported on by members in recent years

2006 - total observation time by members to date for 2006: 2.5 hours
Shower observed	Observer	Dates observed	Total shower meteors observed	Total other meteors observed	Accumulated nett time of count observations
Geminids	Mia Zeelie	13 December	34	6	95 minutes
	Gerrit Penning	13 December	16	5	100 minutes
Orionids	Gerrit Penning	21 and 22 October (SAST)	27+51=78	15+17=32	150 min + 145 min
	Jacques van Delft	21 October	20	12	145 min
	Hannes vd Merwe	22 October	33	23	96 min
	Thinus vd Merwe	22 October	31	4	80 min
	Mia Zeelie	20, 21 and 22 October (SAST)	&&	&&	&&
Eta Aquarids	Gerrit Penning	5 May 2006	11	?	60 minutes
	Mia Zeelie	5 May 2006	14	11*	95 minutes

2005 - total observation time by members for 2005: 1.5 hours
Shower observed	Observer	Dates observed	Total shower meteors observed	Total sporadics during shower observed	Accumulated nett time of count observations
Eta Aquarids (unrecorded)	Mary and Paul Fanner (Kby)	5 May 2005	16	3	90 minutes

2004 - total observation time by members for 2004: 15.91 hours
Shower observed	Observer	Dates observed	Total shower meteors observed	Total sporadics during shower observed	Accumulated nett time of count observations
Pi Puppids	Jacques van Delft	21, 22, 23 April 2004	4	6	231 mintues
	Gerrit Penning	22 April 2004	1	3	77 minutes
April Lyrids	Ronel du Preez	21, 22, 23 April 2004	6	17	228 minutes
	Mia Zeelie	21, 22 April 2004	3	4	124 minutes
	Gerrit Penning	21, 22, 23 April 2004	3	16	170 minutes
	Jacques van Delft	21 April 2004	0	3 (6 uncomf.)	32 minutes
Gamma Normids	Gerrit Penning	13 March 2004 (peak date)	4	2	48 minutes
Alpha Crucids 2004	Group	19 Jan - No observations due to overcast sky	0	0	0
Alpha Centaurids	Gerrit Penning	No activitiy seen in observation period	0	0	45 minutes
Quandrantids	Mia Zeelie	4 Jan 2004 - No observations due to cloudy sky	0	0	0

2003 - total observation time by members for 2003: 29.016 hours
Shower observed	Observer	Dates observed	Total shower meteors observed	Total sporadics during shower observed	Accumulated nett time of count observations
Pi Puppids 2003	Herman Bonnet	23 April 2003	2	0	30 minutes
	Gerrit Penning	23 April 2003	1	0	65 minutes
	Jacques van Delft	23 April 2003	0*	16*	182 minutes
	Elfrieda vd Berg	23 April 2003	4	4	104 minutes
	Braam van Zyl	23 April 2003	1	1	65 minutes
Eta Aquarids 2003	Gerrit Penning:	3, 4, 5 and 6 May 2003	74	18	343 minutes
	Jacques van Delft	6 May 2003	34*	0	80 minutes
Geminids 2003	Gerrit Penning	12, 13 and 16 December 2003	21	8	196 minutes
	Mia Zeelie	12, 13, 14 and 15 December 2003	41	4	410 minutes
Velids 2003	Gerrit Penning	27 and 29 December 2003	4**	9**	119 minutes
	Mia Zeelie	27 and 29 December 2003	3**	5**	147 minutes

*no differentiation between other shower/sporadics
**stream not definite and no chart plotting took place
&& not recorded

Meteor links on the internet:

The International Meteor Organization - http://www.imo.net/ (ASSA Reports to the IMO)
The American Meteor Society - http://www.amsmeteors.org/index.html
The Dutch Meteor Society - http://www.xs4all.nl/~dmsweb/general/websites.html#meteorites
Sky and Telescope: Basics of Meteor Observing