(meteorobs) Sept Perseids 08/09 Sept 2008

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

September Perseids: 09 Sep 2008 04:55-09:45 UT (5 minute break)
                    (08/09 Sep 11:55 pm - 04:45 am CDST)
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: 318 meters
Method: Visual; paper, pencil & talking clock

The weather has been cloudy, or if clear, foggy since the Iowa Star Party.  I
went out to observe about 3/4 hour before Moon set, to try to get a little
observing in, in case dense fog developed.  On the drive out I saw only a couple
small patches of thin fog.  Amazingly at my observing location the fog stayed
away all night!

There was nothing unusual the first two hours, but then activity picked up. 
Many negative magnitude Sept Perseids and many trains.  The best half hour was
08:00-08:30 when I saw twelve SPE's.  At 8:20 the highlight of the morning
occurred: a mag. -8 SPE fireball which left a train lasting 45 seconds.  Just a
few minutes before it appeared I was wishing for bright fireball with a
long-lasting train!

04:55-05:55; 47 deg F; wind W 5 mph; clear; average limiting magnitude 5.7;
half+ lit Moon low in SW, set by 05:45; facing ENE 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
04:57  +3     Spor
05:05  +1     SPE    yellow; train?
05:13  +2     Spor
05:14  +2     SPE    one second train
05:31  +3     Spor
05:34  -1     SPE    one second train
05:37  +4     SPE    brief train
Antihelion: none
Sept Perseids: four: 0; +1; +2; +4
Sporadics: three: +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: seven

06:00-07:00; 45 deg F; wind W 5 mph; clear; aver. lim. mag. 5.7; facing ENE 50
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
06:16  +4     Spor
06:33  +3     SPE    brief train
06:47  +2     Spor
06:51  +1     SPE    orange (fairly low in North)
06:54  +3     Spor
Antihelion: none
Sept Perseid: two: +1; +3
Sporadics: three: +2; +3; +4
Total meteors: five

07:00-08:00; 45 deg F; wind W 3 mph; clear; aver. lim. mag. 5.8; facing East 50
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
07:02  +5     Spor
07:03   0     SPE    one second train
07:03  -2     SPE    one second train
07:05  +3     Spor
07:13  +3     SPE    brief train
07:19  -1     SPE    yellow; one second train
07:20  +2     SPE    yellow; brief train
07:23  +2     Spor
07:24  +3     SPE
07:26  -2     ANT    yellow
07:29  +3     SPE
07:35  +2     SPE    one second train
07:38  +3     Spor
07:48   0     Spor
07:50  -4     SPE    two second train
07:52  +3     Spor
07:54  +4     Spor
Antihelion: one: -2
Sept Perseids: nine: -4; -2; -1; 0; +2(2); +3(3)
Sporadics: seven: 0; +2; +3(3); +4; +5
Total meteors: seventeen

08:00-09:00; 45 deg F; calm; clear; aver. lim. mag. 5.8; facing East 50 deg;
total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
08:03  +4     SPE
08:05  +3     Spor
08:07  -1     SPE    one second train
08:09  -4     SPE    orange; three second train
08:10  -2     SPE    yellow; brief train
08:11  -1     Spor   yellow
08:13  +2     SPE    brief train
08:20  +4     SPE    brief train
08:20  -8     SPE    orange; 45 second train (a little South of overhead)
08:21  +3     SPE
08:22  +2     SPE    brief train
08:22  +2     Spor
08:26  -3     SPE    yellow; three second train
08:27  +5     SPE
08:29  -1     SPE    yellow; brief train
08:38  +3     Spor
08:38   0     SPE    orange; brief train
08:45  +1     SPE    brief train
08:53  -5     SPE    yellow; eight second train
08:54   0     SPE    ended behind pine tree low in NE
Antihelion: none
Sept Perseids: 16: -8; -5; -4; -3; -2; -1(2); 0(2); +1; +2(2); +3; +4(2); +5
Sporadics: four: -1; +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: twenty

09:00-09:45; 44 deg F; calm; clear; aver. lim. mag. 5.6; zodiacal light; after
09:30 increasing morning twilight; facing East 50 deg; total teff 0.75 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
09:07  -1     SPE    yellow; brief train
09:14  -2     SPE    yellow; brief train
09:15  +1     Spor
09:20  +3     Spor
09:24  +3     SPE    brief train
09:28  +2     Spor
09:30  +3     SPE
09:32  +4     Spor
09:33  +2     Spor
09:38  +4     SPE
Antihelion: none
Sept Perseids: five: -2; -1; +3(2); +4
Sporadics: five: +1; +2(2); +3; +4
Total meteors: ten