(meteorobs) 22-23 april 2006 ; Lyrids from Belgium (VANMC)

[Michel Vandeputte]

Day : 22-23   Month : April   Year : 2006
begin : 20.30  UT    end :  01.45 UT
Location : Ellezelles - Belgium    long. 3.38  E    lat. 50.43 N    alt 120 m
Observer : Vandeputte Michel    IMO code ; VANMC
Method : tape recorder - 
Field : east - south east 


Observed Showers : 

Lyrids 
mu Virginids
alfa Bootids  

Interval analyse


Period            Teff        F    LM           LYR    muVIR    a BOO   SPOR    

20.30-21.30    1.00    1.00    6.37        6        0        0        8
21.30-22.30    1.00    1.00    6.38        6        2        0        3
22.30-23.30    1.00    1.00    6.35       11       0        0        5
23.30-00.30    1.00    1.00    6.40       11       1        0        7
00.30-01.30    1.00    1.00    6.33        8        1        0        5
01.30-01.45    0.25    1.00    6.30        2        0        0        1

20.30-01.45    5.25                              44        4        0       29 = 77 meteors. 



Magnitude Distributions 

LYR      -1(2)+0(0)+1(3)+2(9)+3(14)+4(12)+5(4) Mean 2.93
muVIR -1(0)+0(0)+1(1)+2(1)+3(2)+4(0)+5(0) Mean 2.25
SPOR  -1(0)+0(0)+1(0)+2(5)+3(6)+4(5)+5(3) Mean 3.55 


Remarks 
-Nice Lyrid activity, even with the radiant still low (ZHR ~ 20) during the first observing hours. At the end of the session the ZHR decreased (ZHR 12).
-6 Lyrids left a persistent train = 14%. 
-Sometimes the shower was very active. I had a 10' period with 6 Lyrids. 
-No fireballs were observed, but I observed some nice yellow meteors. 
The observing conditions were good but not great. The LM touched at best 6.50, but overall ; there was an average of 6.3-6.4. Skies were sometimes a little hazy with some contrails. After 1.30 UT a cirrus front moved in. It was a cold night ; there was ice on my sleeping bag. 

Long trains,

Michel Vandeputte
VVS meteor section Belgium http://www.meteoren.be/ (in dutch)
Dutch Meteor Society.