(meteorobs) Draconids from Iowa

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

Draconids from Iowa

I went out for two hours as soon as it got fairly dark. It was soon obvious most of the activity had ended.

McFarland Park 4 miles North of Ames, Story County, Iowa, USA
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: 318 meters

The waxing gibbous Moon was behind an oak tree still with most of its leaves during the first hour and a half.  LM a bit worse toward end of second hour as Moon cleared the oak tree and rose higher in the sky.  I deployed my black umbrella to block the Moonlight.

09 October 2011 00:30 - 02:30 UT (08/09 Oct 2011 07:30 - 09:30 pm CDST)

00:30 - 01:30 UT; 75 deg F; dew pt 54 deg F; wind SE 10 mph; clear; average LM ~4.5 (twilight in NW at 00:30); facing NNW 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour.
UT         mag     type      comment
00:58      +1      GIA       yellow
01:06      +3      Spor
01:21      +3      GIA
GIA: two: +1, +3
Sporadics: one: +3
Total meteors: three

01:30 - 02:30 UT; 70 deg F: dew point 54 deg F; wind SE 6 mph; clear; average LM ~5.0; facing NNW 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour.
UT        mag     type       comment
01:35     +3      GIA
01:36      0      GIA
01:51     +3      Spor
01:58     +2      GIA        yellow
02:08     +1      GIA        orange
02:23     +3      GIA
02:26     +3      Spor
GIA: five: 0; +1; +2; +3(2)
Sporadics: two: +3(2)
Total meteors: seven