(meteorobs) Brief Quadrantids report from New Mexico

[Thomas Ashcraft]

Jan 3, 2010

I observed for the Quadrantids from midnight local MST to 7 am MST ( 
0700 UT - 1400 UT ) using an all-sky camera and tending to a digital 
DSLR camera in conjunction with my forward scatter radio array and an 
VLF-ELF receiver. Skies were cloudless and clear but the Moon washed out 
the possibility of capturing small meteors. The temperature got down to 
18 degrees F. and I had to blow warm air over the DSLR with a hair drier 
to keep that camera from frosting over. Throughout the night I captured 
only 8 fireball magnitude meteors on the all-sky camera. The Moon did 
not interfere with larger meteor captures and I can say there was no 
extraordinary fireball outburst during this period over my region.

I still have to process the full night's video.

The predicted Quadrantid peak is supposed to be around 1900 UT which is 
4 and a half hours from now as I write.  Good luck to those who observe.

Thomas Ashcraft
New Mexico