[Meteorobs] Observation September 20/21 2009

[Pierre Martin]

I spent a short one hour session at Bootland Farm, mainly to monitor  
the South Taurids/antihelion area around midnight.  Again, very good  
sky conditions.  It was windy and that helped keep the dew away.

A few South Taurids/antihelions were seen, along with a surprisingly  
good number of sporadics, considering the time of the night.  Lots of  
faint stuff, details below...

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario



DATE: September 20/21 2009
BEGIN: 03:00 UT (23:00 EDT) END: 04:10 UT (00:10 EDT)
OBSERVER: Pierre Martin (MARPI)
LOCATION: Long: -76 29' West; Lat: 45 23' North
Observing site: Bootland Farm, Ontario, CANADA
RECORDING METHOD: talking clock/tape recorder, plotting
----------------------------------------------------------

OBSERVED SHOWERS:_______________________________radiant position
STA (South Taurids)______________________________00:56 +05
NUE (Nu Eridanids)_______________________________05:00 +07
SPE (September Perseids)_________________________04:40 +48
SPO (sporadics)
----------------------------------------------------------

OBSERVING PERIODS: 0 = none seen; / = shower not observed

PERIOD(UT)____FIELD_______Teff___F______LM_____SPO_STA_NUE_SPE

03:00-04:10___22:40 +06___1.07___1.00___6.58___13___3___/___0  =  16

Notes: The first column (Period UT) refers to observing periods, in  
Universal Time. The second column (Field) is the area in in the sky  
where I centered my field of view. The third column (TEFF) Teff is  
simply the total time during the observing session spent actually  
watching the sky. Breaks and/or dead time are not included in the  
reported Teff. It is reported in decimal format such that a 60 minute  
observing session would be reported as Teff = 1.00. The column F is a  
correction when obstructions such as clouds block portions of the  
field of view (1.00 = 100% clear skies). The column (LM) is the  
average naked eye limiting magnitude seen.  All following columns  
indicate the number of meteors for each shower observed.  For more  
info, see: http://www.namnmeteors.org/guidechap2.html
------------------------

MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTIONS:

SHOWER
_____+2__+3__+4__+5______AVE

SPO___3___4___2___4_____+3.54
STA___0___1___0___2_____+4.33

Notes: Magnitude -8 is comparable to a quarter moon, magnitude -4 with  
the planet Venus, magnitude -1 with the brightest star Sirius,  
magnitude +2 to +3 with most average naked eye stars and magnitude +6  
to +7 are the faintest stars the naked eye can see under typical dark  
conditions. A meteor of at least magnitude -3 is considered a fireball  
(IMO definition). The above table contains the magnitudes from all  
observed meteors, and the average (last column) for showers.
------------------------

SKY OBSCURED (FOV) (UT): None

------------------------

Dead time: 1 min (breaks) + 4.81 min (plotting) = 5.81 min

Breaks (UT): 3:11 (40 sec), 3:25 (20 sec)