(meteorobs) Observation August 10/11 2013

[Pierre Martin]

Last Saturday night at Bootland Farm was a busy session.  There was eight setups, lots of people out with their scopes to enjoy a dark moonless sky.  When I got there at sunset, Joe, Jimmy and Colin were all ready with their scopes, and others kept arriving.  The sky was cloudy at first, but quickly cleared up after sunset just as the Clear Sky Chart forecast had predicted.  Compared to the previous night out at this site, this time the air was very calm.  The humidity was high and a heavy dew gradually settled all over equipment.  Overhead, the sky was very nice (3/5 trans, mag 6.5).  The air cooled down to a low of +12C and bugs were a non-issue :)  Lots of casual PERs seen as I was setting up my cameras.

I started formal meteor observing just before 11pm (local time) and I stopped at 4:15am.  In almost five hours, I saw 181 meteors in all, including 118 Perseids (PER).  A slight rise in activity compared to just one night ago, and as usual, the rates were not always evenly spaced (with some busier and quieter spells).  The most active PER hour was the third hour with 30 of them seen.  Despite the radiant gaining height, activity seemed to level off during the fourth and fifth periods.  The brightest PERs were two mag -3's, one of which produced a 12 sec persistent train.

The big highlight of this night... The amazing Eta Eridanid earthgrazing fireball that appeared 1:49am (local time).  It covered over 60 degrees, brightening quickly as it shot from Pegasus to Lyra!  At its peak mag -7, it was enough to light up a good part of the sky and cast shadows on the ground!  The resulting bright persistent train was visible for well over 4 minutes in the western sky, allowing plenty of time for a close-up view in binocs :)

At the end of the night, I slept in the car and then at 10am, Joe Silverman and I enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Antrim restaurant.


August 10/11 2013 2013, 02:55-08:15 UT (22:55-04:15 EDT)
Location: Bootland Farm (Stewartville), Ontario, Canada 
(Long: -76 deg 29'; Lat: 45 deg 23')

Observed showers:
Kappa Cygnids (KCG) - 18:56 (284) +49
Alpha Capricornids (CAP) - 20:45 (311) -07
Antihelions (ANT) - 22:04 (331) -10
Delta Aquariids (SDA) - 23:28 (352) -13
Eta Eridanids (ERI) - 02:56 (044) -11
Perseids (PER) 03:12 (048) +58
Alpha Triangulids (ATR) - 03:12 (048) +40


Period 1: 02:55-03:55 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.51; facing SE50 deg; teff 1.00 hr.
PER: ten: -1; +1(4); +2(2); +3(2); +5
SDA: two: +2; +4
ANT: two: +2; +3
CAP: one: +2
KCG: none
ATR: none
Sporadics: nine: +2; +3(3); +4(2); +5(3)
Total meteors: twenty-four

Period 2: 03:55-04:55 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.53; facing SE50 deg; teff 1.00 hr.
PER: twenty-four: -2(2); -1(2); 0(4); +1(3); +2(6); +3(2); +4(2); +5(3)
KCG: one: +4
CAP: one: +4
ANT: one: +2
SDA: one: +2
ATR: none
Sporadics: six: +1; +2(2); +4; +5(2)
Total meteors: thirty-four

Period 3: 05:20-06:26 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.53; facing SE50 deg; teff 1.00 hr.
Break: 05:51-05:57 (6 min dead time)
PER: thirty: 0(4); +1(7); +2(2); +3(8); +4(6); +5(3)
ANT: two: +3; +4
ATR: two: 0(2)
KCG: one: +3
CAP: one: +1
SDA: one: +5
ERI: one: -7 (wow! 60 degrees long, 240 sec persistent train)
Sporadics: eight: +1; +2; +4(4); +5(2)
Total meteors: forty-six

Period 4: 06:26-07:26 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.53; facing SE50 deg; teff 1.00 hr.
PER: twenty-seven: -3; 0(5); +1(3); +2(5); +3(5); +4(5); +5(3)
ERI: two: +2(2)
ATR: two: +3; +4
KCG: one: +2
CAP: one: +2
ANT: one: +5
SDA: one: +4
Sporadics: seven: +2; +3; +4(3); +5(2)
Total meteors: forty-two

Period 5: 07:26-08:15 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.53; facing SE50 deg; teff 0.81 hr.
PER: twenty-seven: -3; 0(2); +1(3); +2(5); +3(7); +4(6); +5(3)
ANT: two: +5(2)
ERI: one: +4
ATR: one: +4
KCG: none
CAP: none
SDA: none
Sporadics: four: +4(3); +5
Total meteors: thirty-five


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario