(meteorobs) Ursids from Belgium (VANMC)

[Michel Vandeputte]

VISUAL OBSERVING FORM - SUMMARY REPORT 

Night: December 22 - December 23   Year    2006 
Observer: Michel Vandeputte    IMO code: VANMC
Place: Ellezelles, Belgium  (50°43' N - 03°38 E - alt  120 m)
Period: 17.10 - 21.10 UT
Method: counting in 1 hour intervals - tape recorder. 
Field: north eastern directions
Weather conditions: no great observing conditions (humidy at higher levels), clouds after 21UT. Temperature: about 1 degree C. 


Observed showers

Ursids (alfa: 217° / delta +76°)


Interval analyse 

period (UT)     Teff        F        Lm     URS    ANT    SPOR

17.10-18.10    1.00    1.00    5.80        3        0        3
18.10-19.10    1.00    1.00    6.20        7        0        6
19.10-20.10    1.00    1.00    6.30        8        1        6
20.10-21.10    1.00    1.00    6.22        3        0        6

17.10-21.10    4.00                            21       1       21 = 43 meteors. 


       
Magnitude distributions 

URS    +0(1)+1(4)+2(5)+3(8)+4(3) Mean 2.38    N~ :1
ANT    +3(1)
SPOR    -1(1)+2(1)+3(6)+4(13) Mean 3.38    N~: 0


Remarks

Yesterday evening, I was able to watch the Ursids for 4 hours between 17.10 (still in nautical evening twilight) -21.10 UT. Conditions were not good, but at least it stayed a couple hours clear beneath the inversion cloud layer. After 21UT it became cloudy again. Yes; indeed there was some Ursid activity, even with the radiant at is lowest point. 
In the first hour; only 3 members were seen, but during the second hour; the activity increased during a half hour with some brighter shower members (up to a beautiful mag +0 with persistent trail). I've got a little cluster of 4 Ursids (Mag +3, +2, 0 and +3) in ten minutes time between 18.25-18.35 UT. Also the thirth interval was good with 8 members, but the brightness wasn't that great and I saw no concentration of meteor activity as during the second interval. In the fourth hour; the Ursid activity decreased. 
Was this a little  sign of the ' Ursid filament' as mentioned from Peter Jenniskens in his new book or was this just a coincidence and normal to the traditional Ursid maximum? 
Anyway; the Ursids produced some nice meteors during the evening hours of December 22th. 

Clear skies to you all,

Michel.
Belgium