(meteorobs) Perseids in Iowa 13/14 Aug

[Paul Martsching]

13/14 August 2013 
This morning the LM was better than yesterday morning and at the end of the session the obvious horizon haze extended up only 3 degrees above the eastern horizon compared to 15 degrees yesterday.  During the first hour the sky was clear.  During the next hour and a half I was usually able to keep clouds out of my field of view by changing direction slightly.  During the second half of the third hour this was impossible.  Then I took a half hour break because of clouds.  After that the sky was generally completely clear, but for a couple very small patches of very thin haze that quickly drifted thru.

Again only one KCG.  Two faint ERI's.  Another bright SDA mag -3.  The brightest PER's were several of mag -2.  The Perseids were particularly active the hour after I began logging meteors again after my long break.

McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story Co, Iowa, USA
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: 318 meters
Visual: paper, pencil & talking clock

14 Aug 2013 04:45-05:45 UT 57 deg F; dew pt 52 deg F; wind calm; av LM 5.8; facing East 50 deg; teff 1.0 hr.
ANT: two: 0; +1
KCG: +3
PER: seven: -1; 0; +1; +2(2); +3; +4
SDA: two: -3; +1
Sporadics: three: +1; +3(2)
Total meteors: fifteen

14 Aug 2013 05:45-06:45 UT 53 deg F; dew pt 51 deg F; wind calm; mostly clear in FOV; 10% clouds; av LM 5.6; facing East 50 deg; 1st 1/2 hr; facing ENE 50 deg 2nd 1/1 hr; teff 1.0 hr.
PER: six: +1; +2(2); +3(2); +4
SDA: one: +2
Sporadics: three: 0; +2; +4
Total meteors: ten

14 Aug 2013 06:45-07:45 UT 54 deg F; dew pt 52 deg F; wind calm; clear in FOV 06:45-07:15; average cloud cover in FOV 30% 07:15-07:45 (= 15% for entire hour); average LM 5.5 for entire hour; facing ENE 50 deg 06:45-07:10; facing NE 50 deg 07:10-07:45; teff 1.0 hr.
ATR: one: +4
PER: eighteen: -2; 0(4); +1(3); +2(5); +3(4); +4
Sporadics: four: -2; +1(2); +3
Total meteors: twenty-three

Half hour break because of clouds

14 Aug 2013 08:15-09:15 UT 53 deg F; dew pt 51 deg F; wind calm; clear; facing East 50 deg; average LM 5.7; teff 1.0 hr.
ANT: two: -1; 0
ERI: one: +4
PER: thirty-one: -2(2); -1; 0; +1(8); +2(10); +3(6); +4(3)
Sporadics: six: +2(2); +3(3); +4
Total meteors: forty

14 Aug 2013 09:15-09:45 UT 51 deg F; dew pt 50 deg F; wind calm; clear; aver LM 5.6; facing East 50 deg; teff 0.5 hr.
ERI: one: +2
PER: ten: -1; 0(3); +1; +2(3); +4(2)
Sporadics: four: +3(3); +4
Total meteors: fifteen in 30 minutes

I decided to face NW for a few minutes:
14 Aug 2013 09:47-10:07 UT 51 deg F; dew pt 50 deg F; wind calm; some haze in lower western sky; aver LM 5.4; facing NW 50 deg; teff 20 minutes.
PER: nine: -1; 0(2); +1; +2(3); +3; +4
Sporadics: two: +3; +4
Total meteors: eleven in 20 minutes

A satisfactory night after the rather poor observing conditions the previous night.  

Paul Martsching in Iowa