(meteorobs) Obs: 12/13 July 2007

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

13 July 2007 05:00-07:30 UT (CDST 12/13 July 12:00-02:30am)

Paul Martsching
McFarland Park Observatory 4 miles NE of Ames, Story County, Iowa
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: 1,040 feet
Method: Visual; paper, pencil and talking clock

05:00-07:30; 62 deg > 59 deg F; wind: N 5 mph > NW 5 mph; clear > very slightly
hazy; average limiting magnitude: 5.9 (6.1 at 05:00 > 5.7 at 07:30); facing SE
45 degrees; total teff: 2.5 hours
Time   mag.   type   comment
05:17  +3     Spor
05:26  +1     Spor   brief train
05:34  +3     Spor
06:06  +4     Spor
06:23  +4     Spor
07:09  +2     Spor
Antihelion: none
Alpha Capricornids: none
South Delta Aquarids: none
Sporadics: +1, +2, +3(2), +4(2)

A rather disappointing observing session!  At midnight the S and SW horizon was
unusually good (I've seldom seen so little sky glow over Ames), but it didn't
last - the usual summertime horizon haze gradually developed.  

Many nights this year when "clear" sky has been forecast and even the Ames Clear
Sky Clock showed clear - in fact it has been rather hazy to partly cloudy. 
Since any haze or clouds is lit up by the lights of Ames to the Southwest or
Story City to the North and the limiting magnitude at McFarland Park isn't that
wonderful any way, most of the time it seems hardly worth while to go out with
anything less that "clear" skies.