No Meteors

[Karls48 (Karl)]

For past about four years I have been taking images of meteors with various CCD cameras and lenses. About two years ago I finally settled on combination of GStar and Fujinon f0.95 lens and UFOCaptutre automatic detection software. My set-up is able to automatically monitor about 35 deg. chunk of night sky for anything that moves atspeed 0.15 deg/sec to 35 deg/sec.. Comparing to previous records there has been very little meteor activity in patch of sky my camera is observing (azimuth 340.9 alt 49.9). Low meteor count started in October last year. In February 2009 there was one clear night without any meteors recorded at all and in March 2009 two nights ( one clear and one partially cloudy) without any meteor recorded.. This is first time in four years I have recorded no meteor detection for whole night. Did anyone noticed lack of meteors or is it just anomaly in the part of sky I’m observing?

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

What a great setup you've got.
I use the Gstar with a 4mm cctv lens for meteors. No idea how much sky it shows, not that technically minded. But the phrase "great swath of sky" comes to mind.
Can't comment on the amount of meteors atm.
Am hoping the sky will clear for the Pi Puppids on the 23rd of this month.

[Karls48 (Karl)]

Jeanette, have look on this Website http://sonotaco.com/soft/e_index.html. You can download trial version of Meteor capture and free copy of Meteor analyser. There is also map of Australia that allows you to plot meteor path over your location.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Thanks for that Karl. Much appreciated.

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

That seems an expensive license, works out to around $262 AUD.

I'm currently looking at setting up such a camera myself, is there any other options than what you've mentioned that are worth looking at? (or should I be asking this down in the equipment section?) I had heard about the metrec card you can get off ebay but was wondering if there was any newer/better technology around now.

[Karls48 (Karl)]

You could use DVR2000 video switcher card available from eBay for about $20. I did use it for about two years before I started using UFOCapture. It works fine for capturing video clips of meteors.

[jkrah]

Hey Karl, that does sound like a very cool setup.. amazing to hear what people on this site are up to.. I once dreamed of similar setup for detection and capture of lightning footage (but only dreamed.. did not actually do it )..

Nothing personal.. but I so HOPE your wrong with the meteor count..

This is my first year into the whole skygazing stuff and the A-Lyrids are my first major shower for the year and Ive been so looking fwd to it ..and the others later in the year.... and this does not sound promising..