(meteorobs) Obs: 02 Aug 2009

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

02 August 2009 07:00-09:30 UT (CDST 01/02 Aug 02:00-04:30 am)

Paul Martsching
McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story County, Iowa, USA
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: 318 meters
Method: Visual; paper, pencil and talking clock

I was hoping for clear sky, but there was at least some extremely thin, diffuse haze during the entire session.  I had not planned to begin observing before moon set, but I got out and got set up early.  The first half hour hardly worth reporting, but I was surprised to see five sporadics including the most interesting meteor of the night.

Observed showers; only listed in summaries if meteors from that shower seen during that time period.
Antihelion: none seen
A Capricornids: none seen
Perseids
Piscis Austrinids: none seen
S Delta Aquarids
Sporadics

07:00-07:30; 54 deg F; dew pt 51 deg F; calm; "clear", but with thin haze - no apparent cirrus or clouds of any kind and no fog; average limiting mag. ~5.0; Moon low in SW and oranger than usual; a layer of bright sky glow over Des Moines in the South beginning several degrees above the horizon;  the sky glow over Ames just brighter and higher than usual; facing East because it is darker that direction; total teff 0.5 hour
Time    mag    type    comment
07:06   +1       Spor   (N Apex)
07:13    -1       Spor   fast; yellow; 80 deg path; began in SE; passed 5 deg above Hamal; ended 7 deg
                                  below Polaris
07:19   +3       Spor
07:22   +3       Spor
07:28   +2       Spor
No shower meteors seen this half hour
Sporadics & total meteors: five: -1; +1; +2; +3(2)

07:30-08:30; 53 deg F; dew pt 51 deg F; calm; "clear" except for layer of haze as described above; aver.lim.mag 5.2; sky improving somewhat after Moon set; facing East 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Time    mag    type    comment
07:46   +1       Spor
07:46   +3       PER
07:57   +3       PER
07:59    -2       Spor   orange; began in W Pegasus > Eastward/downward
08:06   +2       SDA
08:08     0       Spor   yellow
08:14   +3       SDA
08:25   +2       PER
Perseids: three: +2; +3(2)
S Delta Aquarids: two: +2; +3
Sporadics: three: -2; 0; +1
Total meteors: eight

08:30-09:30; 52 deg F; dew pt 50 deg F; Wind SW 7 mph; "clear" sky seemed better overhead and to the East; layer of sky glow over Des Moines not quite as bright as previous hour and not extending so far eastward; sky glow over Ames still brighter and higher than usual; aver.lim.mag. 5.4; morning twilight coming on in NE after 09:15; total teff 1.0 hour
Time    mag    type    comment
08:30   +3       SDA
08:34   +1       SDA   yellow
08:35   +2       SDA
08:36   +1       Spor    orange (N Apex)
08:37   +3       PER
08:37   +3       Spor    (N Apex)
08:39   +1       PER
08:40   +2       Spor
08:42   +1       PER   brief train
08:47   +3       Spor
08:56   +2       Spor
08:59   +3       Spor
08:59   +4       Spor
09:00   +2       Spor
09:10   +1       PER
09:13   +3       Spor
09:15   +4       Spor
09:17    -1       PER  yellow; 1 second train
09:20   +3       Spor
09:25   +4       PER
09:29   +2       PER
Perseids: seven: -1; +1(3); +2; +3; +4
S Delta Aquarids: three: +1; +2; +4
Sporadics: eleven: +1; +2(3); +3(5); +4(2)
Total meteors: twenty-one
A fairly good final hour in spite of sky conditions.  At the end of my observing session the sky glow over Ames was still brighter and higher than usual with no hint of cloud anywhere.  As I drove home there was no sign of fog.  As I drove into Ames I checked to be sure the layer of bright sky glow was still over Des Moines.  It was.

For me this year was one of the worst for the A Capricornids.  Maybe I was just observing when the activity was low, or maybe most of the Capricornids went W or NW behind me.  

Hoping to not have to travel too far to find clear sky for the Perseids - in spite of bright Moon light.