(meteorobs) Obs: 17 Nov 2010

[David Oesper]

17 Nov 2010 0930-1200 UT  Facing East  30 16 44.2 N, 103 35 33.6 W, 1585 m
Facing Cnc, just right of the Leonid radiant
About 5% sky obstruction at this site due to trees and buildings
Clear, waxing gibbous moon, 81.7% illuminated; winds are calm
Observer: David Oesper, SE of Alpine, TX

0929 Begin zenithal sky brightness measurements with Sky Quality Meter, moonlight
21.25  21.19  21.14  21.17  21.17  21.23 21.14 21.28 magnitudes/square arcsecond
Average: 21.20  Limiting magnitude: 6.2  Sensor Temp = 14 C
Empirical formula: (Avg-8.89)/2 + 0.04

0929 Nice Leonid seen during sky brightness measurements.

0930 Begin observations
0930 note: already dark enough I can see the winter Milky Way between Procyon and Sirius, and between Gemini and Orion
0936 Moonset
0937 L+2: heading down below Leo towards horizon, 15 degrees
0939 L+0: heading towards the upper part of the handle of the Big Dipper, 25 degrees
0952 L+0: Between the head of Hya and Regulus, heading towards the bottom of CMa; nice persistent train that lasted for a couple of seconds
1001 L+5: Leo-->south, 5 degrees
1007 L+2?: went through bowl of the Big Dipper, heading NW; peripheral vision, persistent train lasted just shy of a second
1021 L+2?: heading down towards Com and the ENE horizon, 30 degrees
1022 S+3: Head of Hya-->below Regulus, parallel to the bottom side of the Denebola triangle, short meteor, < 10 degrees
1027 L+1: heading straight down out of Leo towards horizon, peripheral vision
1031 L+3: heading through Hya towards the SE, 15 degrees
1031 note: one of the interesting things about the Leonids is you don’t always see the meteor itself when in your peripheral field (they are fast), but the persistent train lasts long enough you can see that
1036 S+2?: between Castor & Pollux and the Beehive Cluster (M44)-->Procyon, parallel with the horizon, going N-->S, 15 degrees
1038 L+2: Leo-->Cor Caroli & Com	
1038 S+1: Hya, below the previous meteor, parallel path, but not coming from the Leonid radiant, coming from the dir of Orion & Sirius
1040 L+0: to the right of Leo-->below head of Hya, 10 degrees; persistent train lasted 6 seconds!
1042 note: Saturn has just cleared the trees (alt=7 degrees)
1047 S+2?: an “anti-Leonid” heading into sickle of Leo from dir near Procyon, 10 degrees
1052 note: Arcturus has cleared the trees (alt=3 degrees)
1054 L+2: persistent train last 2 seconds
1054 L+2: lower feet of UMa, very short
1101 L+1: headed towards the left of Sirius, nice train
1101 L+2: near Alphard (Alpha Hya)-->Pup
1103 S+2?: near apex of Denebola triangle, parallel to horizon, very short, ~ 1/2 degree
1103 L+2?: hind quarters of Leo-->Arcturus, very short, ~ 1/2 degree
1108 L+2: UMa, peripheral vision, short
1121 note: zodiacal light visible coming up through Virgo past Saturn, and Spica, arching up to below Denebola and into Leo
1153 note: Venus visible now through the trees (alt=7 degrees)
1158 note: astronomical twilight begins
1200 End observations

1203 Begin zenithal sky brightness measurements
21.58  21.63  21.62  21.62  21.63  21.61 mag/sq."
Average: 21.62  Limiting magnitude: 6.4  Sensor Temp = 5 C

0930-1200 UT, 17 Nov 2010, Teff = 2.5
16 Leonids [magnitude +0 (3), +1 (2), +2 (9), +3 (1), +5 (1)]
5 Sporadics [magnitude +1 (1), +2 (3), +3 (1)]

Note: Surprisingly, no meteors were seen between 1109 and 1200 UT.  I *may* have been asleep during some of this time, but to the best of my knowledge, I remained alert.