(meteorobs) possible meteor outburst or shower ANDROMEDA/LACERTA + URSIDS

[Bertunit at aol.com]

I was out observing at my dark sky site in E Central KS from 0250-0450 last
evening and recorded activity from three different sources.

#1 Typical activity numbering I believe 4 or 5 members of the Chi Orionids.

#2 Ursid activity that was the best I had ever seen, with radiant very low to
the N horizon swinging around Polaris I had several Ursids, including a 50 
degree
plus grazer type and a few brighter ones up to 0 Mag. including a few train 
leavers, but
activity totally stopped from the Ursids for me at 0419 (1019 local time pm) 
Dec 22.  I 
went another 35 minutes to moonrise with NO Ursids at all after a flurry of 
maybe
10-12 in the hour and a half prior.

#3 Activity that was for the most part dim but of SIGNIFICANT nature from near
Omega Andromeda at +42 degrees N and 23 hr. 05 min. RA on the 
Andromeda/Lacerta
border.  At just after 0300 UT I recorded 3 meteors in quick sucession from 
this radiant,
followed by 2 more within another couple minutes, and another 2 within five.  
Activity 
continued to dribble in, very faint mostly for the rest of my observing 
period.  I believe
that this might be the activity responsible partially for uptick on 
radio-scatter data, 
like I said it was faint in nature maybe your radio signatures on the meteors 
would
confirm this as well.  This activity goes under the horizon at my latituda 
shortly after moonrise on the 22nd Dec UT.  

Was surprised that a radiant so low in the West produced this activity.  
Meteors 
were on the slow side, too, maybe Taurid or a bit slower near the radiant. 

My record sheets are still to be transcribed, I will have this done within 
2-3 evenings
for sure.  

I HOPE SOMEONE ELSE SAW THIS!!!

Bert Matous  (MATBE)
Overland Park KS