(meteorobs) Obs: 21/22 April 2006

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

22 April 2006 05:00 - 09:30 (CDST 21/21 April 2006 1200 - 430 am)

Paul Martsching
McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story County, Iowa
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: 318 meters
Method: Visual; paper, pencil and talking clock

Antihelion
Lyrids
Sporadics

05:00-06:00; 55 deg F; wind W 5 mph; 10% cloud cover; average limiting magnitude
5.9; facing E 50 degrees; Total teff 1.0 hour (No jets/planes)
Time   mag.   type   comment
05:08  +3     Spor  
05:13  -1     ANT    brief train
05:32   0     ANT
05:42  +3     Spor
05:45  +3     LYR
05:58  +2     Spor
Antihelion: -1; 0
Lyrids: +3
Sporadics: +1, +2, +3
Total meteors: 6

06:00-07:00; 53 deg F; wind W 5 mph; clear; average limiting magnitude 6.0;
facing E 50 degrees; Total teff 1.0 hour (1 jet)
Time   mag.   type    comment
06:20  +1     Spor    0.5 train
06:33   0     LYR     yellow
06:35  +4     LYR
06:39  -2     ANT     yellow
06:53  -1     ANT     yellow
06:54  +2     LYR
06:57  +4     Spor
06:58  -4     LYR     0.5 train
Antihelion: -2, -1
Lyrids: -4, 0, +2, +4
Sporadics: +1, +4
Total meteors: 8

07:00-08:00 50 deg F; wind W 5 mph; clear; average limiting magnitude 6.0;
facing E 50 degrees; Total teff 1.0 hour (No jets/planes)
Time   mag.   type   comment
07:29  +3     Spor
07:59  +3     LYR
Antihelion: none
Lyrids: +3
Sporadics: +3
Total meteors: 2

08:00-09:00  46 deg F; wind W 5 mph; clear; average limiting magnitude 6.0;
facing E 50 deg; Total teff 1.0 hour (4 jets/planes)
Time   mag.   type   comment
08:09  -1     LYR    0.5 sec train
08:11  +3     LYR
08:17   0     LYR
08:25  +1     Spor
08:25  -3     LYR    yellow; 1 sec train
08:34  +2     LYR
08:36  +3     LYR
08:41  +3     LYR
08:44  +1     LYR
08:42  +2     LYR
08:42  +3     Spor
08:48  +1     LYR    yellow
08:54  +3     Spor
08:56  +1     LYR    yellow
08:59  +2     LYR
Antihelion: none
Lyrids: -3, -1, 0, +1(3), +2(3), +3(3) 
Sporadics: +1, +3 (2)
Total meteors: 15

09:00-09:30; 43 deg F; wind W 5 mph; clear; average limiting magnitude 5.7
(Moonrise ~ 08:55); facing NE 50 degrees; Total teff 0.5 hour (2 jets/planes)
I observed another half hour to see if the increase in activity would continue;
I blocked the Moon light.  
Time   mag.   type   comment
09:02  -4     LYR    yellow; 0.5 sec train
09:20   0     LYR    yellow
09:23  +3     Spor
Antihelion: none
Lyrids: -1, 0
Sporadics: +3
Total meteors: 3

Magnitude distribution:
Antihelion: -2, -1, 0(2)
Lyrids: -4(2), -3, -1, 0(3), +1(3), +2(4), +3(5), +4
Sporadics: +1(2) +2, +3(6), +4