(meteorobs) Perseids summary from Eastern Ontario -- GOOD!

Pierre Martin dob14.5 at sympatico.ca
Thu Aug 13 18:05:50 EDT 2009


Hello all,

I am just back home from my Perseids observing trip.  I still need to  
decode the data and crunch some numbers, but briefly, this was  
probably the best Perseid return I've ever seen (not having been in  
the right area of the world to see the 1991-94 outbursts).  The  
following is a preliminary quick impression of what I saw.  More  
detailed reports will follow.  I managed to observe both Aug 11/12 and  
12/13 under good transparent skies, on top of a rise overlooking the  
Ottawa valley.  Last night was especially stunning, with a high  
transparency and 6th mag skies despite Moon.  I observed all of both  
nights, and I am quite exhausted now.  But was it ever worth it!!!

I agree with Joe Rao's statement below that the Perseids showed a  
strong level centered around 6h UT (2:00am EDT) on the morning of  
August 13.  The activity was very intensive with very few if any  
lulls!!!  Many minutes of multiple Perseids, some simultaneous!!  Many  
bright meteors too, many of which were photographed too.  It appeared  
that this peak was a broad one, because the rates were actually quite  
good all night.  Lots of trained meteors, even the faint ones.  Early  
evening rates prior to midnight were also pretty good, with several  
long and bright Perseids - which pleased the public (adults and  
children alike) observing with us.  The rates only began to show a  
significant drop closer to the morning dawn.

As for the 1610 trail encounter on the previous night, August 12, I  
clearly saw a short lived but significant "spike" in rates at around  
8h UT (4:00am).  However, the rest of that night was far quieter with  
just the normal activity.  As 4:00am neared, the rates immediately  
increased without any warning.  There was a sudden flurry of meteors  
accompanied with an increase in bright trained meteors.  This went on  
for just a few minutes, followed by a short lull, and another wave of  
activity before things subsided sharply.

That being said, the 2009 Perseids (especially last night's broad high  
rates) were gorgeous!  The Moon did not deter the shower as much as I  
thought it would from a dark sky site.  I hope to get the full reports  
in soon.  The weather continues to look promising, so I hope to catch  
up on some sleep and maybe get out for some more Perseids tonight :)

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario





On 13-Aug-09, at 10:35 AM, Skywayinc at aol.com wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 8/13/2009 9:46:28 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> Bertunit at aol.com writes:
>
> Perseids made up for their POOR Aug 11/12 showing last nite.
> Rates  for me were TRIPLE the previous night. Report to follow, 3 full
> hours.
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> These results should not be too surprising considering the path  
> Earth took
> through the
> Perseid swarm last night as depicted by Jeremie Vaubaillion's plot.
>
> See:
> _http://www.imcce.fr/en/ephemerides/phenomenes/meteor/DATABASE/Perseids/BIN-tout/Noeuds-Earth2009.jpg_
> (http://www.imcce.fr/en/ephemerides/phenomenes/meteor/DATABASE/Perseids/BIN-tout/Noeuds-Earth2009.jpg 
> )
>
> As you can see, around 6h UT on August 13, Earth apparently passed  
> through
> a small, concentrated "knot" of activity.  I had sent several  
> messages to
> Jeremie in the weeks leading up to this year's shower inquiring  
> about that
> particular region of dust and asked him to what type of activity  
> this might
> provide . . . but he never responded to any of my inquiries.
>
> In my Perseid article for SPACE.com, I had written:
> "Vaubaillon's simulation clearly shows Earth  encountering significant
> meteor activity from about 0 hours UT on Aug. 12  through about 6  
> hours UT on
> Aug. 13, possibly suggesting better than average  Perseid activity  
> worldwide
> for both the late-night hours of Aug. 11 and Aug. 12,  local times."
>
> So it appears, that the activity at around 6h UT  on 8/13 indeed led  
> to
> some intense activity.
> And of course . . . it rained hydro-meteors last  night over my house!
> :(
>
> -- joe rao
>
>




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