(meteorobs) Orionid Data from the Mojave Desert Oct. 23, 2011

[Robert Lunsford]

This was the third of three nights that Robin Gray and I observed from the Mojave Desert. I meant to observe for four full hours but I could not pull myself away from the telescope as the seeing was again superb this morning. Surprisingly, the Orionids were more active than the previous night, which I thought would have been the peak night. 95 Orionids were seen this morning verses 71 on the previous night. All periods had more than 20 Orionids with the peak hour occurring just before dawn, when 28 were seen. Being limited to only three nights camping, I was happy I figured the 22nd would be the maximum or else I would have missed this night. For the third night in a row, no Orionid fireballs were seen during the watch. Fortunately though, I woke at 10:17pm, just in time to see a -7 orange Orionid earthgrazer shooting westward toward the light dome of Los Angeles. Talk about good timing!
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Observer: Robert Lunsford (LUNRO) 
Date: 11-Oct 23 Mean Solar Long: 209.497
Beginning Time (UT) 0840 Ending Time (UT) 1230 
Total TeFF: 3.83 
 
LOCATION: Field Road, CA, USA 
LONG: 116 33' 17" W LAT: 35 02' 04" N 
Elevation: 630 m Bortle Scale: Class 3: Rural Sky 
Beginning Temperature/Relative Humidity: 63F-27% 
Ending Temperature/Relative Humidity: 56F-32% 
Moonrise: 10:26 UT 
METHOD: Visual Recording on Tape 
-------------------------- 
Showers Observed 
EGE 07:02 (105) +27   00-00-00-01  01 Total 
LMI   10:43 (161) +36   00-01-01-01  03 Total 
NTA  02:48 (042 ) +20  00-01-01-00  02 Total 
ORI  06:28 (097) +16   23-21-23-28  95 Total 
STA  02:51 (043) +11    00-02-01-00  03 Total 
SPO                                 04-03-10-06  23 Total 
Hourly Counts               27-28-36-36 127 Total 
--------------------------- 
Period 1   0840-0930 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.59 
FOV 035 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 0.83 
Mean Solar Long: 209.443 
 
Meteor Data: 
EGE 0, LMI 0, NTA 0, ORI 23, STA 0, SPO 4  TOTAL 27 
 
Magnitude Distribution 
ORI  -1 (1) 0 (3) +1 (3) +2 (2) +3 (8) +4 (4) +5 (2)  Mean +2.43
SPO +3 (1) +4 (3)  Mean +3.75 
---------------------------- 
Period 2   0930-1030 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.59 
FOV 050 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 209.483 
 
Meteor Data: 
EGE 0, LMI 1, NTA 1, ORI 21, STA 2, SPO 3  TOTAL 28 
 
Magnitude Distribution 
LMI   +3 (1)  Mean +3.00 
NTA  +3 (1)  Mean +3.00 
ORI    0 (1) +1 (4) +2 (4) +3 (5) +4 (5) +5 (2)  Mean +2.71 
STA  +3 (1) +4 (1) Mean +3.50 
SPO   0 (1) +2 (1) +3 (1)  Mean +1.67
---------------------------- 
Period 3 1030-1130 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.42 
FOV 065 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 209.524 
 
Meteor Data: 
EGE 0, LMI 1, NTA 1, ORI 23, STA 1,  SPO 10  TOTAL 36 
 
Magnitude Distribution 
LMI   +2 (1)  Mean  +2.00
NTA  +2 (1)  Mean +2.00 
ORI  -2 (1) -1 (2) 0 (1) +1 (8) +2 (5) +3 (3) +4 (2) +5 (1) Mean  +1.61 
STA  +3 (1) Mean  +3.00 
SPO +1 (2) +2 (2) +3 (2) +4 (4) Mean  +2.80 
---------------------------- 
Period 4 1130-1230 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.15
FOV 080 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 209.566 
 
Meteor Data: 
1 EGE 0, LMI 1, NTA , ORI 28, STA 0,  SPO 6  TOTAL 36 
 
Magnitude Distribution 
EGE +1 (1) Mean +1.00
LMI   -1 (1)  Mean  -1.00 
ORI  -2 (1)  -1 (0) 0 (2) +1 (3) +2 (9) +3 (8) +4 (5) +5 (0) Mean  +2.25 
SPO +2 (1) +3 (2) +4 (1) +5 (2)  Mean  +1.83 
-------------------------------------- 
Total Magnitude Distribution 
EGE  +1 (1)    Mean +1.00 
LMI  -1 (1)  +2 (1)  +3 (1)  Mean  +1.33 
NTA  +2 (1) +3 (1)  Mean +2.50 
ORI  -2 (2)  -1 (3) 0 (7) +1 (18) +2 (20) +3 (24) +4 (16) +5 (5)  Mean +2.23
STA  +3 (2)+4 (1)  Mean +3.33
SPO  0 (1) +1 (2) +2 (4) +3 (6) +4 (8) +5 (2)  Mean  +3.04