(meteorobs) Observation May 5/6 2010

[Pierre Martin]

Here's my results for the Eta Aquarids, near their maximum date.  This  
is never an easy shower to see from 45 degrees latitude, due to the  
low radiant, but I've always enjoyed the challenge.  The few that do  
appear here can often take the form of long and bright paths into the  
morning skies.

When I arrived at Bootland Farm just before 3am EDT, the transparency  
was poor (1/5) and there was some thin clouds.  Eventually, the clouds  
accumulated low in the east and actually provided some helpful cover  
for the rising Quarter Moon.  The later part of the night was then  
completely clear with average transparency.

The Eta Aquarids were active during the final 37 minutes with five  
members.  Three of these produced long 20 to 30 degrees paths.  The  
highlight was a spectacular blue-white mag -3 Eta Aquarid fireball  
seen at 4:18am EDT, seen climbing up in the east, with a 2 sec train.   
It had a thick appearance.  And just mere moments later, a mag +2 Eta  
Aquarid appeared almost precisely at the location where the fireball  
was seen.

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario



DATE: May 5/6 2010
BEGIN: 06:45 UT (02:45 EDT) END: 08:30 UT (04:30 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, cord align
----------------------------------------------------------

OBSERVED SHOWERS:_______________________________radiant position
ETA (eta Aquarids)______________________________22:24 (336) -02
ANT (antihelion)________________________________15:36 (234) -19

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

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

PERIOD(UT)____FIELD_______Teff___LM_____F_____SPO_ETA_ANT

06:45-07:52___17:30 +11___1.00___6.20___1.11___2___0___2
07:52-08:30___18:35 +10___0.62___5.90___1.00___0___5___1

TOTALS:___________________1.62_________________2___5___3  = 10

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 (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
______-3__-2__-1___0__+1__+2__+3__+4______AVE

SPO____0___0___0___0___0___1___1___0_____+2.50
ETA____1___0___0___0___2___1___0___1_____+1.00
ANT____0___0___0___0___0___2___1___0_____+2.33

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): 20% from 06:45-0658, 20% from 07:05-07:25

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

Dead time: 8 min (breaks)

Breaks (UT): 6:58-7:05, 8:11-12