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

[Robert Lunsford]

Bert,

It appears so far that you were the only one to witness this activity. This 
shows just how important visual observing still is as we would not have had 
a clue to this activity had it not been for your observations. We would have 
thought it was all Ursid activity. Although there will be a waxing crescent 
moon next year, we need to keep a lookout for a repeat of this evening 
activity. Your timing of the Ursid flurry indicates good rates may again 
repeat itself near 9-10 UT Dec. 22, 2006, which is favorable for North 
America.

Clear Skies!

Robert Lunsford


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Bertunit at aol.com>
To: <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 4:57 AM
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) possible meteor outburst or shower 
ANDROMEDA/LACERTA+ URSIDS


>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