" Just when you thought  meteors can not be seen in our cloudy sky.. For two straight nights -despite the presence of the Gibbous moon and drifting clouds - fireballs (bright meteors) still managed to pierce the shallow LM Singapore sky and revealed themselves to patient observers "   - yKChia Dec 15 02 Sunday 1:37pm Rev 1.1

Period:  Dec 14/15 (2nd night)
Method : Visual / Tape/Video 
Site: Tekong-Mandai Park 

Narration:      
     Close to mid-nite (Dec 14 '02 - 11:54 pm) I decided to check out the sky before calling my co-worker who stayed nearby to join me.  For a quickie-check I walked to a nearby school( Woodlands Primary Ring).  Castor / Pollux was 35 degree on my left and while gazing noticed a bright ( -3 mag)  grazing Geminid - the tight triangular head dragged a short tail moved for 30+ angles with a wobbling path. I was totally elated. I lingered for a while and bag  another GeM - 3 minutes later. That easy-huh I thought.
     I dragged along my main video gear completed with dew heaters, heat pads, two camcorders, count down timer, heavy gel batteries, tapes  and a tripod.  Tonight  for time recording - I rubber banded a talking clock with a Sony voice recorder and used  the ear phone so that I was dead sure the recording is actually doing something.  ( video provides better time-stamping resolution).  Arriving at the field I set up one watec-902H with 90 degree F.O.V as a back up. ( catching meteor  missed by visual).   The other narrow field camera was not used due to poor LM. Half way through the first recording I discovered that the 12v gel battery had gone flat - consequences of me ignoring the 'tell-tale' sign from video play back a day earlier -  blackened stripes. I quickly switched to a standby battery. Clouds drifted in and out throughout the session.  It played tricks on our eyes and for once we thought the stars were moving. Dew was light,  my pelican case was sheltered rather unorthodox shelter - an opened umbrella! Bugs (mosquitoes) did not bother me except my companion who blamed it on his dark trousers.  Finally when the cloud coverage seems to be too overwhelming thick I packed up and go. The place looked deserted now - except the sleepy me and one lone man pounding the track.
     High-lite for the 'night' - 1) Gem 'earth-grazer'  mentioned before, 2) long trail yellow GEM fireball rushing to meet the gibbous moon and 3) a slow moving sporadic fireball originated from very close to Sirius and ended in Betelgeuse.  
    The table below illustrates the type of meteors seen ( how bright, general direction (where) etc. 
     I was woken by rain close to 4 AM...  Just wonder how many out there are still doing the watch - ARE you?  Please contact me and share with me  your adventure. ( ...thanks for those who had responded  12/17 )