Observing - Astronomy Forum

Star Clusters Associated with LMC Visible from the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys

Mike Napper — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:58:07 +0000

I opened a topic in Cloudy Nights and am sharing it here in case anyone has something to share on the topic:

I recall reading an article or maybe a topic in these forums about star clusters associated with the Large Magellanic Cloud that clear the horizon in the Florida Keys. Unfortunately, I can't find it now. The Winter Star Party (WSP) is coming up next month and I want to try for one or more of the clusters if possible. Looking at Sky Safari I've identified some candidates that appear to clear the horizon but the challenge looks daunting as only one clears the horizon by three degrees and the rest by even less. All are about magnitude 12 or fainter and all are four arcminutes or less in size. I selected six as candidates as they culminate two degrees or higher above the horizon. They are NGC 1868, NGC 1900, NGC 1942, NGC 1997, NGC 2097 and NGC 2120. Globular cluster NGC 1868 may be the best target. It only culminates at about two degrees but is the brightest at magnitude 11.60 and the largest at 3.9 arcminutes.

Has anyone else seen such an article or ever tried this challenge? Is my analysis valid or am I just off my rocker for even considering this?

The attached image is cropped from a Sky Safari chart for the site of the WSP shortly after 8:00pm during the week of the upcoming star party. The horizontal red line is the horizon and the vertical red line is the meridian.

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Meteor Strike on the Moon?

Al Bott — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 02:07:06 +0000

Ok, the weather tonight is just too nice not to have the scope out. About 2055, 12Apr2024, I was looking at the terminator line on the moon. I had out my 8inch, F4.9 using my Hyperion IV set to 24mm. I was just enjoying the shadows and the details when I think I saw a meteor strike in the vicinity of Mare Imbrium. A bright spot that lit up for just a moment. I pulled away from the EP to see if I possibly saw something flying overhead and I didn't see anything. So I have to ask, did anyone else see what I am describing?

More 2023 Leonid Meteor Shower obsevations (11/19-20/23)

Paul Jones — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 23:51:56 +0000

I managed to get back out for two more hours this early morning (11/20/23) at my dark sky observing site along CR 204 in southern St. Johns County (3:30 to 5:30 am), looking for post maximum Leonids. Once again I was pleasantly surprised by them.

Although I battled excessive humidity, patches of thick fog and occasional bouts with cirrus cloud haze, the Leonids were still producing very well! I ended up getting 23 more Leonids this morning (hourly counts 10 and 13). Also, the meteors were brighter and more distinctive by far this morning than they had been the previous morning.

Virtually all of the Leonids were brighter than 3rd magnitude magnitude and several were in the +2 to zero magnitude range and about half of them left nice smoke trains behind them. Quite different than the super faint wisps I saw from them the previous morning!

Also, the Taurids kicked back in nicely this morning with four lovely, long, slow beauties being seen slowly crossing big chunks of sky. This morning's meteors more than made up for the subpar observing conditions, I must say. Although no fireballs of any kind were noted.

The Leonids have a reputation of being a sharply peaked meteor shower that are usually hardly seen far from their maximum date; however, this year at least, the Leonids seem to be lingering long past their maximum! Here is the hourly breakout I had from this very interesting and quite unexpected morning:

11/19-20/23 3:30 to 4:30 am EST - 10 Leonids, 2 Taurids, 10 sporadics for 22 total meteors.

11/19-29/23 4:30 to 5:30 am EST - 13 Leonids, 2 Taurids, 1 November Orionid and 13 sporadics for 29 total meteors.

I never would have expected to see 23 Leonids in just two hours a full 48 hours after the predicted maximum, although it is just the latest example of the unpredictability of this meteor shower!

More impressions of the Leonids from this morning - 11/18-19/23

Paul Jones — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 17:17:39 +0000

Now that I've had a bit of sleep and not so drowsy as I was earlier this morning (11/8-19/23), I wanted to provide a bit more analysis on my post-max. 2023 Leonid session from this morning. As with most Leonid observing sessions, there may well have been more going on than easily met the eye!

Although I officially recorded a total of 21 Leonids observed, I strongly suspect there may have been many more of them in actual fact. There were several instances during the watch when I "thought" I caught very subtle, barely visible wisps of motion against the starry background. Since I wasn't sure if I saw them or not, I didn't count them in the totals.

I think now that they may have been extremely faint and short duration Leonids that were at or just below the visible threshold of my eyes being able to see them! This may tie into one of the amazing recent findings on the Leonid meteor stream.

It seems that the particle sizes of Leonid meteoroids being ejected from the comet are dependent upon their ejection speed out into space. Faster ejection speed dislodges larger particles that can produce brighter meteors, lower ejection speeds can produce smaller [articles that produce fainter meteors!

One of the reasons I was out observing this morning was to monitor for a potential build up towards a possible outburst predicted by some experts as occurring around 18 UT today (11/19/23). Since our longitude could only get to around 10 1/2 hrs UT before daylight interfered, I was keen to see if there was any evidence of the ramp up that might occur before dawn broke.

If the ejection speed of this potential outburst was low, the particles would be small and many perhaps just at or below the human eye threshold for detection. That may have been what I observed (or almost observed) this morning.

I've been observing the Leonid stream for 49 years now (including the most recent 33-year period "storm cycle" from 1998 to 2002) and I can truly say from experience, it is one of the most fascinating, unpredictable and enigmatic meteor showers of any of them!

I'll be back out there again in the morning to see them one more time if the weather allows!

2023 Leonid post maximum observations (11/18-19/23)

Paul Jones — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 16:42:44 +0000

After a very successful ACAC outreach event at Trailmark last night (11/18/23), I just got in from a pleasant albeit very humid, two-hour, early morning meteor watch for the post maximum Leonids from my usual CR 204 observing site in southern St. Johns County.

I was surprised to get a total of 21 Leonids between 3:30 and 5:30 am under finally clear and dark skies after over a week of solid overcast skies and volumes of rain!

Most of the Leonids were short and faint this morning; however, two of them were lovely -1 meteors, both seen tracking NW - one in Perseus and one in Auriga. Only one faint Taurid meteor was seen during the watch, along with 19 sporadics and one very nice member of the November Orionids also.

Here are the hourly rate break outs:

11/18-19 3:30 - 4:30 am - 9 Leonids, 1 Taurid, 1 Nov. Orionid, 8 sporadics for 19 total meteors.

11/18-19 4:30 to 5:30 am - 12 Leonids and 11 sporadics for 23 total meteors.

Not too shabby at all for the night after the maximum!

November 2023 meteor shower observing opportunities

Paul Jones — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 15:18:28 +0000

November 2023 should indeed be an intriguing month in the meteor shower department, here is a rundown. The Northern Taurids and especially the Leonids are very favorable to observe! The Northern Taurids are known to produce some awesome fireballs, so all observers should be alert for them when out doing any kind of November observing at any hour of the night. Both of the Taurid radiants should be active through most of November.

The Leonids will be most active around the mornings of the 17th and the 18th, but not visible before midnight. In 2023, we are now within ten years of the next possible Leonid Meteor Storm cycle (centered on and around year 2032). Although no unusual activity is expected from them this year, the Leonids are very famous indeed for their total unpredictability and steadfast refusal to adhere to human expectations...;o)! 62

More continuing 2023 Orionid observations

Paul Jones — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:56:36 +0000

Wow! I (Paul Jones) just got in from an amazing one hour meteor watch for the 2023 Orionids (10/23/23)! I awoke at 3 am, looked out and saw some stars, so I figured I would give it a shot at my now trusty roadside site along CR 204 in southern St. Johns County.

I got there about 4 am and the sky was about 75% cloudy, although I did see a few holes in the clouds here and there. I decided to hang out and see what would happen and boy, am I glad I did! Persistence really paid off indeed!

By 4:45 am, the sky was clearing and soon after, I was able to begin the watch. I had spotted a few Orionids between the clouds while waiting, so I could tell the shower was most likely still active. In fact, it proved to be significantly more active than it had been 48 hours previous.

Between 4:55 and 5:55 am, in just one hour, I had a whopping total of 52 meteors of all kinds with 33 of them being Orionids! Although much more numerous, the Orionids were also significantly fainter then they had been. I didn't see any Orionids brighter than about +2 in magnitude, while the majority were +3 and +4, even a few at +5! The dark skies really helped me pick out the many tiny, short, faint Orionids this morning.

And not only the Orionids were active, I also spotted 4 members of the epsilon Geminid minor shower and 3 Taurids. Towards the end of the hour, a nice +2 Leonid lookalike shot SSW well below Orion.

Here's the rundown on the quite productive hour I had this morning, thank goodness the clouds gave me that one hour of clear skies!

4:55 to 5:55 am - 33 Orionids, 4 epsilon Geminids, 3 Taurids and 12 sporadics (including one +1 Leonid lookalike) for a total of 52 meteors.

The Orionids should have a couple more days of potentially good activity, so if the clouds allow, I shall give it another go in the morning for sure!

Bolide from Orange Park 2023-10-18 04:08 AM ET

rgrokett — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 02:11:12 +0000

My meteor camera captured a bright bolide, approx full moon brightness, on Oct. 18, 2023, 08:08:52 UTC

Traveled right through the Gemini twins.

Video shows smoke trail visible and even some possible fragments. NOTE: The video is a slowed down version of a timelapse movie, so the length of visibility isn't accurate! (actual time was ~3-5 sec) The photo image has lens reflections.

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Russell

More continuing 2023 Orionid Meteor Shower observations

Paul Jones — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 15:19:35 +0000

For the third night in a row I was able to get out this morning (10/21/23) for two hours in the pre-dawn (4:05 to 6:05 am) from my new roadside location along CR 204 in southern St. Johns County. Although there were long lulls in the activity, the Orionids did pick up some and I was able to top 20 an hour from them for the first time this year.

There was no fog apparent this morning and the sky was glittering with the winter Milky Way riding the Meridian. Conditions were quite pleasant save the ever present mosquitoes. There were no fireballs that I saw this morning, but all told in the two hours, I had 65 total meteors with 38 of them Orionids, 2 epsilon Geminids, 5 Taurids and 20 sporadics.

Although I counted them officially as sporadic, three meteors this morning sure as heck looked like very early Leonids to me! The "books" say the Leonids don't officially start until early November, but those three looked just like Leonids to me... after all, I've only seen a couple thousand of them across the decades...;o).

There were a couple of real nice Orionids this morning in the -1 to zero magnitude range and many of the very short, one to two degree long meteors that set the Orionids apart from all the other major showers. They should continue to pick up over the next two or three mornings and as long as the weather holds, I shall be out there to monitor them. More to come...

Hourly counts from this morning (10/21/23)

4:05 to 5:05 am - 22 Orionids, 2 epsilon Geminids, 3 Taurids and 12 sporadics (2 Leonid lookalikes), for a total of 39 meteors

5:05 to 6:05 am - 16 Orionids, 2 Taurids and 8 sporadics (1 Leonid lookalike) for a total of 26 meteors.

Continuing 2023 Orionid observations

Paul Jones — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:49:01 +0000

Well, I (Paul Jones) got back out there again this morning (10/20/2023) for another go at observing early morning Orionids. I had intended to go to the Fairgrounds, but when I got there, thick fog had shrouded the sky almost completely. From experience, I knew that Matanzas Inlet (MI) would be fog-free, so I relocated there, finally arriving a bit before 4:30 am.

MI was indeed fog-free and in one hour (4:25 to 5:25 am) I had 14 Orionids, 2 epsilon Geminids, 2 Taurids and 8 sporadics for 26 total meteors. The best surprise came at 5:11 am as a beautiful -4 Orionid fireball slashed rapidly westward a few degrees below Jupiter. Orionid fireballs are rare, so seeing one like that really was a treat!

Earlier, on the ride up from Palm Coast, I caught a lovely -5, blue-green Taurid fireball fall into the northern horizon through the windshield. It was a two fireball night!!

I'm not sure where I'll end up observing from in the morning, the fog will no doubt descend on the Fairgrounds once again. Two other meteors were noteworthy this morning - a lovely -1 epsilon Geminid that shot south from the radiant early in the watch, followed soon after by a very nice zero magnitude Orionid streaking north from the radiant with a long path and it left a spreading smoke train behind it.

Although fog-free, the other MI scourge ended up got the better of me - no-see-um gnats! They were quite evident during the session and finally caused me to give up after just one hour. I may end up at my new CR 204 location again, as it seemed to stay fog free there this morning as well (and no gnats!!). More to follow...