(meteorobs) Obs: 12/13 August 2011

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

13 August 2011 UT (12/13 Aug CDST)

McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story County, Iowa, USA

In spite of the bright Moon light it would have been a better session if the clouds had stayed away later when Perseid rates were picking up as the radiant rose.  Used black umbrella to block Moon light.

My LM estimates based mainly on how easy or difficult it was to see the faintest of the four corner stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper (mag 4.95).  

Surprisingly I saw no Kappa Cygnids and only one Eridanid.  Facing North and Northeast it is difficult to determine any thing about southern showers, but I saw two meteors that I think were SDA's, too fast to be CAP's or ANT's.  

I was very disappointed not seeing any Perseid fireballs (mag -4 or brighter).  

The following report is more a story of what I could see rather than being of much scientific value.

03:25-04:25 UT 65 deg F; dew pt 63 deg F; wind SW 7 mph; clear; full Moon in SE; LM ~5.2; facing North 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hr.
PER's: nine: -2(2); +1; +2; +3(5)
Sporadics: three: 0; +3(2)
Total meteors: twelve

04:25-05:25 UT 64 deg F; dew pt 62 deg F; wind SW 6 mph; clear; full Moon; LM ~5.0; facing North 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hr.
SDA: one: +1
PER: ten: -1; 0; +2(3); +3(5)
Sporadics: one: +3
Total meteors: twelve

05:25-06:25 UT 65 deg F; dew pt 63 deg F; wind SW 7 mph; 5% cloud cover; LM ~4.8; facing North 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hr.
SDA: one: 0
PER: fifteen: -2(2); 0; +1; +2(6); +3(4); +4
Sporadics: one: +2
Total meteors: seventeen

06:25-07:25 UT 65 deg F; dew pt 63 deg F; wind SW 7 mph; 5% cloud cover; LM ~5.1; facing N 50 deg 06:25-07:15; facing NE 50 deg 07:15 - 07:25; total teff 1.0 hr.
PER: twelve: -1; 0(2); +2(4); +3(5)
Sporadics: two: +1; +3
Total meteors: fourteen

07:25 - 07:45 Break waiting for clouds to thin out and to rest my eyes.

07:45-08:45 UT 65 deg F; dew pt 63 deg F; wind SW 8 mph; 10% cloud cover; LM ~5.2; facing NE 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hr.
PER: twelve: -3; -2; -1; 0; +1(3); +2(2); +3(3)
Sporadics: one: -1
Total meteors: thirteen

08:45-09:15 UT 64 deg F; dew pt 63 deg F; wind SW 7 mph; 20% cloud cover; full Moon far enough into SW to allow a bit better LM; LM ~5.3; facing NE 50 deg; total teff 0.5 hr.
ERI: one: +2
PER: fourteen: -2; 0(3); +1(4); +2(3); +3(3)
Sporadics: four: -2; +3(3)
Total meteors: nineteen (half hour)

Completely clouded out by 09:50.