(meteorobs) May 3rd AM Eta Aquarid report E Central KS (MATBE)

[Bertunit at aol.com]

Significant spell of cold dry air has influenced the weather for the past 7-10
days in the Midwest USA, with the moon finally drawing past the Eta Aq. 
radiant I headed south to my observing site during the predawn on TUES
am.

DATE - 2005 May 2/3  0340-0510 CDT
            2005 May 3rd  0850-1010 UT

OBSERVER - Bert G Matous (MATBE)
SITE - Rutlader, KS  N end of Louisburg Middle Creek State Fishing Lake
          + 38.5 N  94 37' W
28.5 miles S of Overland Park KS
FACING (FOV) - 1st hr. SSE at 80 degrees
                         2nd 1/2 period - S at 70 degrees
Zenithal Star - At :30 min intervals from start to finish -
                     +6.35/6.15/5.8/5.0 
Observing method - Large legal pad without looking down
Total Time - 1:30
Total # of meteors seen - 11/(+1 while setting up at 346AM)
4 Eta Aq.s, 5 Sporadics, 2 N Apex sporadics
(The casual was a -1 gorgeous  Bluewhite 25 degree ANT low in West)

0340-0440 AM  2 EAq, 1 N Apex, 3 Spor.
0440-0510 AM  2 EAq, 1 N Apex, 2 Spor. 

Magnitude Breakdowns -

Origin   +1  +2  +3  +4  +5    TOTAL
EAq       1    1    2                     4          3 of 4 left trains (75%)
N Apex   1         1                     2
Spor.s   .5   .5    1  1.5  .5         5

REMARKS - Temp. 35 falling to 32 degrees at dawn, light 0-5 MPH
N wind, moderate frost.

The sky was beautiful with zs 6.35 conditions till the waning crescent
moon really started to affect things a half hour into the session.  Not 
much Eta Aquarid activity, and the two the first hour were :40 seconds
apart at straightup 4 AM, the first one +2 shooting from overhead to high 
west in Lyra/Hercules, the following one down in the head of Scorpio,
tracking west much lower in the South, both were fine meteors, both
trained 1.5 sec in duration. I had to rule out a very rapid N Apex from
being a Eta Aq at 428 AM, a nice Yellow +1 in the West, with no train.

Even w/low rates I stuck it out with the brightening skies for the final
half hour and was rewarded with a couple more Eta Aq.s at 500 am and
just under the wire at 509 a +3 up thru Delphinus.  The 500 am was the
best one of the nite, a +1 reddish, thru W Aquila into Ophiuchus leaving
a nice two and a half second train.

Qualtiy-wise the EA's were looking good, worth the effort to see 3 of 4
train-leavers from them.  Clouds shut me down this AM, I might get 
clear weather for 5/5 AM.

Other notes - Had a -5 irid. flare under the radiant low in the SE at almost
the identical time I noted it in 2003 around 355 AM, I guess the orbit is 
holding up fine!

Bert Matous