(meteorobs) Orion Data from the Mojave Desert October 22, 2011

Wed Oct 26 16:01:57 EDT 2011

This was the second of three nights that Robin Gray and I observed from the Mojave Desert. I woke earlier so that I could photograph Jupiter and still get a full 4 hour session. The 25% illuminated moon did not rise until 09:16, so the first hour was viewed under nearly pristine skies. The Orionids were much more active than the previous night. With 25 seen during the first hour, this surpassed the entire total seen the night before. I never have recalled such a large jump in rates so close to maximum. There is usually very little change from one night to the next for this shower from October 21-23. The waning crescent moon may be responsible for some of this, but I believe the display was genuinely weak on the 21st. Orionid rates fell as the morning progressed, most likely due to the higher altitude of the moon. For some odd reason the limiting magnitudes this morning were slightly worse than the previous night, even though the moon was less illuminated. A total 0f 79 Orionids were recorded in four hours. The brightest was magnitude -2. As is normal for this shower, there were many gaps of inactivity, some as long as 10 minutes. Seeing 2 Orionids per minute was common and a couple of minutes produced 3 Orionids. Nearly all the brighter Orionids had a persistent train. The only color noted was orange in a few of the brighter ones. 

The minor showers were well represented tonight. Most notable were the Leo Minorids, which produced some bright, impressive meteors. It was the brightest of all showers with a mean magnitude of +1.33.
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Observer: Robert Lunsford (LUNRO) 
Date: 11-Oct 22 Mean Solar Long: 208.500
Beginning Time (UT) 0830 Ending Time (UT) 1230 
Total TeFF: 4.00 

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: 62F-30% 
Ending Temperature/Relative Humidity: 54F-44% 
Moonrise: 09:16 UT 
METHOD: Visual Recording on Tape 
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Showers Observed 
EGE06:58 (105) +29   00-00-03-00  03 Total 
LMI 10:40 (160) +37    01-01-01-03  06 Total 
NTA 02:45 (041 ) +19   01-01-00 02  04 Total 
ORI 06:24 (096) +16    25-18-19-17  79 Total
STA 02:48 (042) +11     03-01-01-02  07 Total
SPO                                 06-03-08-06  23 Total 
Hourly Counts               36-24-32-30 122 Total
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Period 1   0830-0930 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.47 
FOV 035 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 208.446

Meteor Data: 
EGE 0, LMI 1, NTA 1, ORI 23, STA 3,  SPO 6 TOTAL 36 

Magnitude Distribution 
LMI   -1 (1)  Mean -1.00 
NTA  +2 (1)  Mean +2.00 
ORI  -2 (1) -1 (3) 0 (2) +1 (5) +2 (5) +3 (5) +4 (3) +5 (1)  Mean +1.68
STA   +2 (1) +3 (1)+4 (1)  Mean +3.00 
SPO +1 (1) +2 (2) +3 (1) +4 (2)  Mean +2.67
---------------------------- 
Period 2   0930-1030 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.16 
FOV 050 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 208.487 

Meteor Data: 
EGE 0, LMI 1, NTA 1, ORI 18, STA 1, SPO 3  TOTAL 24 

Magnitude Distribution 
LMI    0 (1)  Mean  0.00 
NTA  +2 (1)  Mean +2.00
ORI  -1 (2) 0 (3) +1 (0) +2 (2) +3 (5) +4 (5) +5 (1)  Mean +2.44 
STA  +3 (1) Mean +3.00 
SPO +4 (3) Mean + 4.00 
---------------------------- 
Period 3 1030-1130 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 6.06 
FOV 065 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 208.529

Meteor Data: 
EGE 3, LMI 1, NTA 0, ORI 19, STA 1,  SPO 8  TOTAL 32 

Magnitude Distribution 
EGE  +1 (1) +3 (1) +4 (1)   Mean +2.67
LMI    +2 (1)  Mean  +2.00 
ORI  -1 (1) 0 (3) +1 (3) +2 (5) +3 (4) +4 (2) +5 (1) Mean  +1.95 
STA  +2 (1) Mean  +2.00 
SPO  0 (1) +1 (1) +2 (0) +3 (2) +4 (4) Mean  +2.88
---------------------------- 
Period 4 1130-1230 UT 
F = 1.00 (0% Clouds) Mean LM 5.93
FOV 080 +10 TOTAL TeFF: 1.00 
Mean Solar Long: 208.570 

Meteor Data: 
EGE 0, LMI 3, NTA 2, ORI 17, STA 2,  SPO 6  TOTAL 30 

Magnitude Distribution 
LMI   +2 (1)  +3 (1) +4 (1)  Mean  +3.00 
NTA  0 (1) +2 (1)  Mean +1.00
ORI  -1 (1) 0 (3) +1 (3) +2 (5) +3 (4) +4 (2) +5 (1) Mean  +1.95 
STA  +1 (1) +2 (1) Mean  +1.50 
SPO  -1 (1) +2 (2) +3 (2) +4 (1) Mean  +1.83
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Total Magnitude Distribution 
EGE  +1 (1) +3 (1) +4 (1)   Mean +2.67
LMI  -1 (1)  0 (1)  +2 (2)  +3 (1) +4 (1)  Mean  +1.33
NTA  0 (1) +2 (3)  Mean +1.50
ORI  -2 (1)  -1 (7) 0 (12) +1 (11) +2 (16) +3 (18) +4 (11) +5 (3)  Mean +1.86 
STA  +1 (1) +2 (3) +3 (2)+4 (1)  Mean +2.43
SPO -1 (1) 0 (1) +1 (2) +2 (4) +3 (5) +4 (10) +5 (0)  Mean +2.78