(meteorobs) Long Night Moon Ursids

[Bruce McCurdy]

    Here in Alberta I was intent to catch the Ursids, not so much because of 
the prediction of enhanced activity -- which somehow managed to occur during 
the very short daytime for us -- but to put a proper end to my year-long 
project to observe every major shower regardless of conditions. Well this 
evening those conditions weren't good at all: we had no meteor shower but a 
snow shower instead, which was dumping down big fat flakes at an enhanced 
rate. I was relatively sanguine about this state of affairs since I had 
fortuitously bagged a couple or early Ursids during my chase of the alpha 
Lyncids a couple of nights ago, but I did keep an eye on the sky while doing 
some seasonal activities at home. Sure enough around 3 a.m. it started to 
break up, so I put on the gear and just headed out to the backyard for an 
hour.

    Conditions were hardly good with the very high (1 degree from El Nath!), 
very bright moon reflecting off the very fresh, very white snow, reducing 
limiting magnitude to ~4.0. But the sky seemed reasonably active with faint 
meteors near the threshold of vision, a few of which I caught in my direct 
vision and was therefore able to establish speed and direction. In 1 hour 
Teff I saw 9 meteors in all including 5 Ursids, 3 sporadics, and 1 swift 
Coma Berenicid at the end.

    I looked away from the Moon and in the general direction of the two 
Bears. Spotting the stars of Draco between the Dippers, it occurred to me 
that it's usually a bad idea to come between a mother and her cub. I guess a 
dragon needn't give a coprolite, he has the flaming answer for any question.

    Alas nothing too flaming in the sky on this night, the brightest I saw 
was +1 but there was sufficient activity for it to have been worth my time.

    Bruce
    *****

Observer: Bruce McCurdy, MCCBR
Location: Back yard, central Edmonton, AB: 53°33'12" N, 113°32'35" W
Time: 2007 Dec 23, 10:40-11:40 UT ; Teff = 1.0 hour
Method: visual, digital voice recorder and talking watch
Limiting magnitude =  ~4.0

10:40    start
10:47    URS    +4
10:52    SPO    +4
11:02    URS    +3
11:05    URS    +1    slow, near radiant
11:21    URS    +3    near radiant
11:28    SPO    +3
11:28    URS    +3
11:33    SPO    +2    ~0.5 s
11:39    COM    +2

5 URS: +1, +3(3), +4
1 COM: +2
3 SPO: +2, +3, +4
Total meteors: nine