(meteorobs) Obs: 3 May 2010

[David Oesper]

3 May 2010 0354-0554 UT (CDT 2 May 10:54 p.m. - 3 May 12:54 a.m.)

David Oesper
S of Alpine, TX
30 16 50.3 N, 103 35 15.0 W, ~5250 ft.
Method: Visual, digital voice recorder, talking clock

0354 - 0554 UT; Teff = 2.0 hours
Meteors: 7

0354-0454 UT: 1 meteor
0454-0554 UT: 6 meteors

S = Others or Sporadic

0325 sky brightness: zenith SQM 21.74 ~6.5
0330-0353 trouble with digital voice recorder shutting off; changed  
batteries, OK now
0354 begin session; sky clear; facing Leo
0355 point flash near Mars and again near Head of Hydra; tumbling  
satellite?
0453 S, 2m; Boo -> towards end of handle of Big Dipper
0500 S 2m; top of backwards ? of Leo --> towards Castor & Pollux
0500 S 2m; very short, almost a flash; gamma Leo -> towards zeta Leo
0508 S 2m?; Ser Caput
0520 S 1m; backwards ? of Leo -> towards "under" Mars; didn't get a  
good look at it
0533 S 3m; from direction of the handle of the Big Dipper -> Crv
0551 S 3m; under Crv -> towards west & south
0554 end of session
0554 moonrise; 76.3% waning gibbous

Limiting Magnitude = [(SQM-8.89)/2]+ 0.04
SQM = Sky Quality Meter

Comments: Thanks to Richard Taibi for your words of encouragement that  
even null results are worth reporting.  Even though sometimes the  
meteor activity is very low, there is some satisfaction in knowing you  
may be the only person in the world recording meteors (at least  
visually) at certain times, and you might just see something  
unexpected--to paraphrase my good friend Paul Martsching.  What an  
inspiration he has been to all of us!