(meteorobs) October 22, 2006 Meteor Observations from Southern California

Robert Lunsford lunro.imo.usa at cox.net
Tue Oct 24 16:39:38 EDT 2006


This is the third and last night of our Orionid expedition to the Mojave
Desert. The skies remained perfectly clear but the wind kicked up a bit
during the day. Actually this was a good thing as then we were not tempted
to break out the telescope and lose more sleep. We slept as soon as it
became dark and woke an hour early to try to see any Orionid earthgrazers.
Actually the radiant was already a few degrees up at 2300 local time. We
were still rewarded within ten minutes as a -4 orange earthgrazer was seen
low in the south. A couple more were seen, but not as nice as the first.

The Orionid rates were still surprisingly strong with two hour periods
producing forty or more shower members. The Orionids continued to brighten
with five fireball class meteors seen tonight. The brightest Orionid of the
night was a -8, which flashed high in the northwestern sky, lighting up the
desert scenery. As with the previous night, there were lulls of two and
three minutes then bursts of two and three meteors within seconds. Robin
actually saw two simultaneous meteors cross paths just east of the belt of
Orion. The Leo Minorids produced a few fine meteors, swift like the
Orionids, but shooting toward Orion from Leo Minor.

Both Robin and I look forward to our next meteor excursion for the 2007
Geminids. We hope the weather then is as perfect as it was for this trip;
not a cloud seen the entire time!

By the way, Robin will not return home until November 3, so his Orionid
reports will be a bit tardy.
-------------------------------------------------------
Observer: Robert Lunsford (LUNRO)
Date: 06-Oct-22 Mean Solar Long: 208.730
Beginning Time (UT) 0600 Ending Time (UT) 1200
Total TeFF: 6.00

LOCATION: Field Road, CA, USA
LONG: 116 33' 06" W LAT: 35 01' 49" N
Elevation: 630 m   Bortle Scale: Class 3: Rural Sky
Beginning Temperature/Relative Humidity: 52-44%
Ending Temperature/Relative Humidity: 50-48%
METHOD: Visual Recording on Tape/Video Recording
--------------------------
Showers Observed
EGE  07:04 (106) +27    00-00-01-00-00-00     1 Total
LMI  10:40 (160) +39    00-00-00-00-01-03     4 Total
ORI  06:24 (096) +16    10-21-26-41-40-33  171 Total
STA  02:44 (041) +12    01-00-00-01-02-01     5 Total
SPO                               06-04-05-16-13-12   56 Total
Hourly Counts                17-25-32-58-56-49  236 Total
---------------------------
Period 1  0600-0700 UT
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.68
FOV 030 +10   TOTAL TeFF: 1.00
Mean Solar Long: 208.618

Meteor Data:
ORI 10, STA 1, SPO 6, TOTAL 17

Magnitude Distribution
ORI -5 (1) -4 (1) -3 (1) +1 (2) +2 (3) +3 (1) +4 (1) Mean +0.30
STA  +3 (1) Mean +3.00
SPO -2 (1) +1 (0) +2(1) +3 (1) +4 (3)  Mean + 2.50
----------------------------
Period 2  0700-0800 UT
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.70
FOV 045 +10   TOTAL TeFF: 1.00
Mean Solar Long: 208.659

Meteor Data:

ORI 21, SPO 4   TOTAL  25

Magnitude Distribution
ORI  -2 (1) -1 (1) 0 (2) +1 (1) +2 (6) +3 (5) +4 (4) +5 (1)  Mean +2.19
SPO +1 (2) +2 (1) +3 (0) +4 (1)  Mean +2.00
----------------------------
Period 3  0800-0900 UT
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.59
FOV 060 +10   TOTAL TeFF: 1.00
Mean Solar Long: 208.701

Meteor Data:
EGE 1,  ORI 26, SPO 5, TOTAL 32

Magnitude Distribution
EGE +3 (1)  Mean +3.00
ORI  0 (1) +1 (6) +2 (9) +3 (3) +4 (5) +5 (2) Mean +2.42
SPO +2 (1) +3 (1) +4 (1) +5 (2) Mean + 3.80
----------------------------
Period 4  0900-1000 UT
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.37
FOV 075 +10   TOTAL TeFF: 1.00
Mean Solar Long: 208.742

Meteor Data:
ORI 41,  STA 1,  SPO 16, TOTAL 58

Magnitude Distribution
ORI  -4 (1) -1 (2) 0 (5) +1 (4) +2 (15) +3 (9) +4 (4) Mean +1.73
STA  0 (1) Mean 0.00
SPO  0 (2) +1 (1) +2 (1), +3 (8) +4 (3) +5 (1) Mean + 2.93
----------------------------
Period 5  1000-1100 UT
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.28
FOV 090 +10   TOTAL TeFF: 1.00
Mean Solar Long: 208.784

Meteor Data:
LMI 1, ORI 40, STA 2,  SPO 13, TOTAL 56

Magnitude Distribution
LMI   +1 (1)  Mean + 1.00
ORI   -4 (1) -1 (2) 0 (3) +1 (4) +2 (11) +3 (8) +4 (9) +5 (2) Mean +2.25
STA  +2 (2)  Mean + 2.00
SPO  +1 (3) +2 (2), +3 (4) +4 (1) +5 (3) Mean + 2.92
----------------------------
Period 6  1100-1200 UT
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.32
FOV 105 +10   TOTAL TeFF: 1.00
Mean Solar Long: 207.825

Meteor Data:
3 LMI, ORI 33, STA 1, SPO 12, TOTAL 49

Magnitude Distribution
LMI  -1 (1) +1 (2) Mean +0.33
ORI  -8 (1) -3 (1) -1 (2) 0 (2) +1 (3) +2 (7) +3 (10) +4 (5) +5 (2) Mean
+1.94
STA   0 (1) Mean 0.00
SPO  -3 (1) +1 (1) +2 (3), +3 (3) +4 (4) +5 (0) Mean + 2.42
-------------------------
Total Magnitude Distribution
EGE +3 (1) Mean +3.00
LMI  -1 (1) +1 (3)  Mean +0.50
ORI  -8 (1) -5 (1) -4 (3) -3 (2) -2 (1) -1 (7) 0 (13) +1 (20) +2 (51) +3
(36) +4 (28) +5 (7) Mean +1.43
STA  0 (2) +2 (2) +3 (1)  Mean +1.40
SPO  -3 (1) -2 (1) 0 (2) +1 (7) +2 (9) +3 (16) +4 (14) +5 (6)  Mean +2.75






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