(meteorobs) No luck with October Camelopardalids

[bmccurdy at telusplanet.net]

   Bob Lunsford wrote in his weekly outlook:

> The October Camelopardalids(OCT) peak for only a few hours but shower members 
are bright and should be easy to observe. The 2008 display is predicted to 
occur near 14 UT on October 5th, which corresponds to 0700 PST. It is daylight 
at this time from the USA's west coast but observers along the Pacific coast of 
Canada and Alaska can view at this time. The last hour before dawn may provide 
some activity as seen from the western USA and Canada.

   Serendipity placed me on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada the 
morning of the predicted OCA display. I was tired after a two-day drive but had 
packed my very portable meteor kit (talking watch, microcassette, SQM) as well 
as a couple layers just in case. The weather looked unpromising when I arrived 
at my friend's house in Sooke, but a sucker hole did develop later that evening 
which gave me some hope. Just an hour was all I needed. 

    Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. I set my alarm for 4 and then 5 
a.m., and the latter time spotted a small clearing with a few stars in it which 
prompted me to get dressed and out there. But by then the sky had filled in 
again. I monitored the thinner clouds hoping for fireballs, but just after 5:30 
it started to rain so that was that.

    The oddest thing happened on Saturday evening when I was checking 
conditions. The sky appeared completely clear, in fact I comfortably could 
resolve the Milky Way from Auriga to Aquila, about what I expected from small-
town skies (LM probably = 5.5 on average). But while I was looking up at this 
clear sky, it was RAINING. Just a light, constant spray on my face, like being 
near a waterfall, but closer to rain than mist. There was no apparent source 
(a.k.a "clouds"), so presumably it was airborne but not readily visible. It 
wasn't windy in my sheltered location but there may have been high winds aloft. 
A very odd experience that reminded me of the fine Beth Orton song, "The Stars 
All Seem To Weep". 

   Bruce
   *****

PS: Last day on the island today, but if the skies which have finally cleared 
stay that way I will take a shot at the Giacobinids this evening and/or 
tomorrow morning.