(meteorobs) Meteor obs from Eccles Ranch (near Caroline, Alberta), 2009-07-24/25

[bmccurdy at telusplanet.net]

> Nice to have meteor season back upon us.

   Hear, hear, Bill. Great to see some of the regular names popping up with 
reports, and I'm happy to be adding one of my own. Since my adventures in the 
deep-frozen north for the Quadrantids I've had precious little success with 
meteors: 
-- completely skunked by weather for the Lyrids 
-- a fortnight later had an enjoyable session of bird-listening while waiting 
for eta Aquariids, of which I observed precisely one in 90 minutes
-- while casually observing on July 11 I saw one faux Perseid which was 
interesting enough to make me double check the current radiant, but in the end 
I ruled it a sporadic rather than my earliest ever Perseid. 'Twas a sight for 
sore eyes nonetheless. 

   This past weekend I attended the Friday night of RASC Calgary Centre's Star-
B-Q weekend and finally got in a worthwhile meteor obs session. :) Meteors were 
in relative abundance early in the evening as I visited friends and conducted 
casual obs, but my official count was limited to a 75-minute session in the 
overnight hours, as described below. The first 2/3 of the session had solid 
results, but counts dropped towards the end as the skies got lighter while my 
eyelids got heavier. :) 

   Bruce
   *****


Observer: Bruce McCurdy, MCCBR
Date: 2009 July 25, 08:40 - 09:55 UT (02:40 - 03:55 MDT); Teff = 1.25 hrs
Location: Eccles Ranch just NE of Caroline, AB
   114°43'12" W, 52°07'30" N, Elevation ~1065 m
Limiting magnitude: = ~6.3, SQM = 21.4
Conditions: Clear, mild NLC near N. horizon, twilight late
Method: Visual; digital recorder and talking watch
Comments in "quotations" are verbatim transcripts
/ = description of meteor in length and duration
~ = description of persistent train in length and duration

Active radiants:

Alpha Capricornids  (CAP) - 20:16 (304) -11   Velocity - 24km/sec.
Antihelion (ANT) - 21:04 (316) -15   Velocity - 30km/sec.
Delta Aquariids (SDA) - 22:28 (337) -17   Velocity - 43km/sec.
Pisces Austrinids (PAU) - 22:36 (339) -31   Velocity - 35km/sec.
Perseids  (PER) - 01:32 (023) +53   Velocity - 59km/sec.

08:40 - 09:55; clear; avg. LM = 6.3; facing east 60°; Teff = 1.25 hours
Time    type    mag    comment
----------------------------------
08:40   SPO     +2     
08:42   PER     -2     ~ 0.5 s
08:43   SPO     +4
08:44   SDA      0     
08:47   SPO     +4
08:55   SPO     +3     possible early KCG ??
08:56   CAP      0     ~ 0.5 s, white
08:59   SPO     +3     near point meteor (/ ½°)
09:02   SPO     -1     ~ 0.5 s
09:09   PER     +4
09:09   PER     +2
09:20   PER     +3     through Kemble's Cascade
09:26   PER     -3     ~1.0 s, near Pleiades, white
09:29   SPO     +4
09:40   PER     +5 
09:55   PER      0
-------------------
1 CAP: 0
1 SDA: 0
7 PER: -3, -2, 0, +2, +3, +4, +5  [avg. = +1.3]
7 SPO: -1, +2, +3(2), +4(3)       [avg. = +2.7]  
Total meteors: sixteen
*****