(meteorobs) Quadrantids, Sharon MA USA

[Richard Kramer]

After accidently seeing a bright, beautiful Quandrantid while walking 
the dog a couple of days ago, I've been harboring high hopes for some 
formal Quadrantid observation time. A strong high pressure system to 
our west is efficiently delivering a healthy supply of seriously 
arctic air together with some of the best skies this light polluted 
area offers. The 8 deg F (-13C) air and brisk winds also set the 
stage for a certain kind observing experience which is totally 
unavailable when the Perseids are flying. There is a distinct 
pleasure in layering on enough clothing to provide a reasonable 
degree of comfort for an observer lying on the icy ground exposed to 
the frigid arctic air roaring by like a freight train. However, I 
think I should revisit the idea of using contact lenses during these 
sessions in place of my eyeglasses which are inclined to frost over 
with the moisture evaporating from my eyeballs whenever the wind 
drops off for a few seconds. I started observing in the lee of a 
large evergreen tree, but relocated into the open after deciding that 
the limited shelter it provided from the wind was not worth the 
obscuration of my field of view.

While my comfortable clothing made for an enjoyable wintery observing 
experience, the session's harvest could have been better. I only 
managed to log 1 modest QUA and 4 equally modest sporadics during 
three 15 minute slices. I had the distinct impression that there was 
a lot more going on just below my reliable photometric threshold. I 
think I was seeing some dimmer meteors flash through my peripheral 
vision, but none of these were clear enough, nor long lived enough to 
be logged with any confidence, so they didn't make the count.

Results (with the aid of the imo.net electronic reporting sheet) follow.

Regards,
Richard


// Header section

night    	2008-01-02/03

observer	"Richard" "Kramer"
location	71 10 52 W, 42 06 32 N
site    	"Lake Massapoag, Sharon MA" "United States"
reporter	"kramer at sria.com"

// Shower section
shower	QUA 230 +49
shower	SPO

// Number section
// 	Interval  	RA  	Dec 	Teff 	F    	Lm  	   QUA 	   SPO
period	0658-0713 	140 	+45 	0.240 	1.40 	4.50	C   1 	C   2
period	0734-0749 	140 	+45 	0.240 	1.10 	4.50	C   0 	C   1
period	0749-0804 	140 	+45 	0.240 	1.10 	4.50	C   0 	C   1

// Magnitude section
//          	Show 
Interval     -6    -5    -4    -3    -2    -1    +0    +1    +2    +3 
    +4    +5    +6    +7    Tot
distribution 
QUA 	658-713   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0 
1.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0    1.0
distribution 
SPO 	658-713   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   1.0 
1.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0    2.0
distribution 
SPO 	734-804   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   1.0 
1.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0    2.0

// Personal comments
1. Temperature -13 C
2. Winds N 24 km / hr