(meteorobs) Eta Aquariids a non-starter in Alberta

[Bruce McCurdy]

For at least the third time this decade we in central Alberta have had snow 
dumping a considerable damper on Cinco de Mayo. To a meteor observer like me 
the date is significant because its the putative peak of the eta Aquariid 
meteor shower, which despite its anti-northerner bias remains one of my 
favourite annual pursuits. Alas, not this year; even as the snow melts a 
couple days later the skies remain resolutely cloudy.

I did make it as far as my front yard two weeks ago for a couple hours of 
Lyrid observing the morning of the peak. That's Lyrid singular, as I saw 
just the one, fortunately a very nice one of mag -2 or -3. Limiting 
magnitude was around +4.2 so I hardly expected better, but was too tired to 
commit a two-hour round trip in addition to actual observing time. I also 
got a few sporadics and some interesting satellite sightings, including a 
fine pass of an old favourite, Lacrosse 5, a couple bright Iridium flares, 
and a spectacular pass of the ISS under extremely favourable circumstances 
w.r.t. sun/phase angle. Through 15x70 binos I was convinced I was seeing a 
profile that appeared to consist of about 5 separate reflecting surfaces 
nested together.

Do any of the meteor observers on this list do any sort of formal satellite 
observing? It seems to me that the two pursuits are relatively compatible.

Bruce
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