(meteorobs) Ursids Dec 22/23 UT from southern Maryland

Richard Taibi rjtaibi at hotmail.com
Thu Dec 23 14:22:13 EST 2010


I arrived at the Bel Alton site shortly after astronomical twilight ended, but unfortunately arrival also coincided with moonrise of the nearly full moon.  I wanted to monitor the Ursids shortly after the 22 Dec (UT) maximum was predicted in the IMO notes.  So, I arrived almost two hours after the nominal 'max' ended.  When I was settled in place the Milky Way was weakly visible but at the end of the session, it was overwhelmed by moonlit sky.  So, conditions were far from good but at least the sky was cloudless.  Even so, I was able to see Cepheus all session long and the third magnitude 'guard star' in Ursa Minor was visible throughout the session, even tho it was at 'lower culmination' at about 30 degrees altitude (and in light pollution from LaPlata, MD).  Still, I believe I would have easily seen meteors that were +2 or brighter.
 
Happy Holidays to all meteorobs-ers!
 
22/23 December 2010, 23:42-0:42 UT, 6:42 pm-7:42 pm EST
Bel Alton, MD, USA; 76d, 59m W long; 38d, 28m N lat; ~10 meters elevation.
 
23:42 UT (12/22)- 0:42 UT (12/23/2010); Teff=1.00, Lm=4.0, F=1.00, Field Center slightly south of Cepheus
 
URS: +2
SPO: none
 
  		 	   		  


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