(meteorobs) Obs: 4 Jan 2011

David Oesper oesper at mac.com
Tue Jan 4 19:07:57 EST 2011


4 Jan 2010 0700-0900 UT (4 Jan 1:00 - 3:00 a.m. CST)

David Oesper
SE of Alpine, TX
30 16 44.2 N, 103 35 33.6 W, ~5200 ft.
Method: Visual, digital voice recorder, talking clock

0700-0900 UT, varying degrees of cloud cover between 0752 and 0900
15 Quadrantids [magnitude +0 (4), +1 (5), +2 (6)]
  5 Sporadics [magnitude +1 (1), +2 (1), +3 (2), +4 (1)]
  3 Antihelion [magnitude +2 (1), +4 (2)]
  2 January Leonids? [magnitude +3 (2)]
  1 December Leonis Minorid [magnitude +4 (1)]
TOTAL: 26 meteors

0700 begin session; sky clear, no wind; facing NE towards the Big Dipper
0700 sky brightness: zenith SQM 21.76 ~6.5
0705 S+4
0706 S+3, Q+1
0710 Q+2
0724 Q+2
0726 S+2
0727 JLE+3
0731 ANT+4
0739 Q+0
0741 DLM+4
0742 JLE+3
0745 startled by a grunting javelina!
0748 ANT+4
0752 swath of clouds moving in: field of view is ~10% cloud covered
0806 2Q+2
0807 Q+2
0809 2Q (+0, +1)
0812 Q+1
0813 Q+1
0815 S+1
0820 field of view is still ~10% cloud covered
0820 Q+1, nice wake, seemed slightly faster than Qs seen earlier
0827 now ~30% cloud cover
0834 Q+2
0836 now ~65-70% cloud cover
0837 ANT+2
0841 Q+0
0845 now ~80% cloud cover
0849 now ~90% cloud cover
0850 S+3; an "anti-Quadrantid"
0851 Q+0
0900 end session, ~90% cloud cover

[0901 sky brightness: zenith SQM 21.70 ~6.4, sky ~90% cloud covered]

Comments: Quadrantids seemed slower than I expected given their Vinf of 42.2 km/s and the "grazers" I was observing with the radiant very low.  Many exhibited a traveling "wake" behind the main meteor.  Quite impressive!




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