(meteorobs) Alpha Aurigids from Iowa

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

Sky conditions were unusually good considering the glaring light from the 3/4
lit Moon.  It appears that the Alpha Aurigids were beginning to increase as
twilight brightened.

01 September 2007 06:10-10:45 UT (CDST 31 Aug/01 Sep 1:10-5:45am)

Paul Martsching
McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story County, Iowa
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: ~1,035 feet
Method: Visual; pencil, paper & talking clock; black umbrella to block Moonlight

06:10-07:10     Aurigids: 2   Sporadics:  4  L.M.~5.0; 58 deg; calm
07:30-08:30     Aurigids: 0   Sporadics:  3  L.M.~5.0; 56 deg; calm
08:30-09:30     Aurigids: 2   Sporadics:  5  L.M.~5.0; 55 deg; calm
09:30-10:45     Aurigids: 5   Sporadics: 10  L.M.~4.4; 54 deg; calm (1.25 hr)
4.25 hours      Aurigids: 9   Sporadics: 22  Total meteors: 31

Magnitude distribution:
Alpha Aurigids: nine: -2; 0, +1, +2(2) +3(4)
Sporadics: twenty-two: -1(3), 0(3), +1(3), +2(3), +3(7), +4(3)

The only Aurigids that showed color were the two brightest: yellow and orange.
The brightest had a train lasting one second; otherwise only a couple of brief
trains.