(meteorobs) Pre-max Quadrantids from Oregon, 2011 Jan 3

[Wes Stone]

Skies are supposed to cloud for the morning of the 4th, and with rates 
likely to be well down from maximum anyway I decided to watch on the morning 
of the 3rd in hopes of catching climbing rates. Despite a threat of fog, 
skies were OK, especially overhead. The first two meteors were the most 
memorable of the watch--a slow, red, magnitude 0 sporadic and a blue -2 
Quadrantid. The first two 15-minute periods contained 5 and 7 Quadrantids, 
so I got my hopes up, but a later period contained only 1 Quadrantid and 1 
sporadic. I ended up with 26 Quadrantids, 21 sporadics and 1 DLM in 1.53 
hours before twilight ended the show.

I tried to catch some earthgrazers later on the evening of the 3rd, but I 
got started a bit late. I saw a nice -1 right after I stepped out the door 
at ~6:37pm, but had to wait until 7:30pm until I saw another, an orangish 
+1.5.


Summary Report for the whole session (already submitted an interval report 
to IMO):
Observer: Wesley Stone (STOWE)
Location: Chiloquin, OR (42d 35m N, 121d 52m W)
Method: Counting/Paper
Date: 2011 January 3, 1241-1417UT (4:41 - 6:17 PST)

Teff: 1.53 hours
F: 1.00
LM: 6.52
Total Meteors: 48
ANT: 0
DLM: 1 [+5]
QUA: 26 [-2(2), -1, 0(4), +1(3), +2(4), +3(6), +4(4), +5(2)] mean=1.9
Spo: 21 [0(4), +1(2), +2(5), +3(5), +4(5)] mean=2.2




--
So he slept on a mountain.
In a sleeping bag underneath the stars
he would lie awake and count them.
And the gray fountain spray of the great Milky Way
would never let him die alone.
--Wilco