(meteorobs) Meteor Observations from Northern Nevad on January 3, 2009

[Robin Gray]

January 2, 2009 was not a very good day from the astronomical standpoint - overcast skies with wind and sleet storms. But around sunset I noticed some clear sky in the west, and by 11:30 pm local time the sky was clear. So I went out and began to watch for meteors by midnight. However, clouds came in rapidly from the NW and within half an hour the sky was completely overcast. However, rather than going back inside I just lay there for awhile, and soon noticed a thinning of the clouds, and in twenty minutes the sky was clear again and I spent the next 4+ hours observing. Even so, a haze of very thin clouds remained, evidenced by slight halos around brighter stars and a reduced limiting magnitude over what I usually experience on clear nights in this location. Towards the end of my observations in the morning clouds again began to move in from the west and I concluded my session.

January 3, 2009  Paradise Hill, Nevada, 20 miles North of Winnemucca.
Longitude 117 degrees 37' 30" West; Latitude 41 degrees 15' 0" North

UT Period   Field   Teff   F    LM    QUA   COM   AHY   ANT   SPO

8:02-8:34    60NE   .53   1.53  5.98   3     3     0     0     2

8:53-9:55    60NE   1.00   1.0  6.36   25    0     0     0     15

9:55-10:59   60NE   1.03   1.0  6.36   45    3     1     0     17

11:37-12:41  60NE   1.00   1.0  5.94   55    0     0     0     17

12:41-13:45  60NE    .99   1.01 6.07   75    3     0     0     10

Magnitude Distribution:

Shower  -6  -5  -4  -3  -2  -1  0   1  2  3  4  5   Totals  

QUA      4   1  10   1   6   5  20  28 35 55 31 7    203

COM      0   0   0   0   1   0   0   1  3  3  1 0      9

AHY      0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  0  1  0 0      1

ANT      0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  0  0  0 0      0

SPO      0   1   4   0   1   0   5   5 10 17 13 5     61


                                 Total Meteors:      274

                                  Total Teff: 4.55


Robin Gray