(meteorobs) Quadrantids from the Everglades (GRALE summary, 2006 Jan 03/04)

[Lew Gramer]

We got to enjoy a few more Winter meteors in the Everglades last night, 
despite a barrage of low-lying clouds. I got out to Pa-hay-okee Lookout at 
around 11pm, and set up to just ever-so-slightly fog-hazy skies... A big ball 
of scud (low stratocumulus) rolled through before long, though, delaying the 
start of my session. I finally got the session going at 04:30UT (11:30 EST), 
and fellow observer Mike Smith arrived around 11:45 local.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the low-level cloud decks began passing 
overhead again, cutting off first one area of the sky, then another. And for 
about an hour in the middle of my session, we had to take a break completely 
and watch the end of the Orange Bowl (American college) football game! For as 
always, Mike arrived amply supplied with inverter-powered "comfort gear", 
including a small TV, and a microwave for coffee. :)

We finally managed to restart the observations near 1am local (05:50 UT). And 
by wobbling our heads around like bobble-heads, we managed to keep a steady 
90%-clear field of view for another 40 minutes, until the deck raised up and 
thickened over our heads around 2:30 local (06:33 UT).

The high QUA rates (and the brightest shower meteors) had obviously passed us 
by, before the radiant rose over South Florida USA. Still, this was my first 
SUCCESSFUL Quadrantid observing session since the last time I lived in 
Florida full-time - when I was 15 years old, in January 1983! So I am pretty 
happy with the results, in spite of low counts and a short session. :)

A full report just to NAMN/IMO will follow momentarily.

Did others fair any better for clouds - or in catching high Quad rates?


Clear skies all!
Lew Gramer
Homestead FL USA

================================================================================
IMO METEOR SUMMARY
================================================================================
Observer's Name: Lewis J. Gramer               IMO Observer Code: GRALE
EVENING Date (UT): 03-Jan-2006                   IMO Showers Active that Date:
MORNING Date (UT): 04-Jan-2006                   COM,DCA,QUA
Session Start Time (UT): 4:30
Session End Time (UT):   6:33

Observing Site Location: Pay-ha-okee Lookout, Everglades, FL, USA
     Site Latitude: +25:22.5          Longitude: -80:45.0        Elevation: 1m

SHOWERS OBSERVED:
Shower Name      Quadrantids   Delta Cancrids Coma Berenicids   Sporadics
3-letter Code    QUA           DCA            COM               Spor


================================================================================
SUMMARY OF ALL METEOR DATA BY PERIOD:
# Start End  CFV    Teff  LM    F       QUA   DCA   COM   Spor  TOTAL
1 4:30  6:33 125+05 1.03  6.92  1.075   6     4     1     9     20

TOTALS              1.03  6.92  1.075   6     4     1     9     20

Average Magnitudes                      3.25  3.25  4.50  3.28  3.33

================================================================================
GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT SESSION:
I recorded no Constellations or DCVs tonight, to reduce dead time.
Near-ground fog and low-level Sc clouds were intermittent all night,
  causing a late start, very variable LMs, a long break in the middle,
  and ultimately ending the session prematurely at 06:33 UT.
The peak of QUA activity (and the bright ones) were clearly over
  before the radiant rose: still, some 'tail' activity was noted.
Highlight of the night was my FIRST successful Quadrantid session
  since the age of 15 - the last time I lived in Florida... :)

Mike Smith also recorded with me using the IMO method tonight.
Pa-hay-okee Lookout really is a lovely place to observe from, and
  especially in the dark hours. But I *must* remember to bring my
  mosquito coils out there with me every single night, cold front
  or not! Temps tonight dropped, from about 70oF to 60oF, and damp
  was only a slight problem near the end of the session.

================================================================================