(meteorobs) Observation August 16/17 2013

[Pierre Martin]

Here's my report for this Saturday morning at Bootland Farm - my last August moonless window session.  When I got there, I found a rather large porcupine, moving slowly across the observing field.  It was cloudy for several minutes so my sign-on was delayed until 2:30am (local time).  Once clear, the night was beautiful with mag 6.6 skies and the zodiacal band was just barely visible.  Nova Delphini had brightened considerably compared to my last session and was now shining under mag 5.  It was very quiet, with just the occasional distant loon and owls heard.  Temperature was down to a cool +6C.  A very bright iridium satellite was seen at 3:58am that reached mag -5 and lit up a part of the sky.

The Perseids were still active, but they were evidently on their way out, with rates less than half as strong as what I had two mornings ago.  As Paul mentioned in his report, I was also disappointed by the Kappa Cygnids.  They have been particularly active around the Perseids peak nights but this time they were totally absent.  I was surprised to see some good Eta Eridanid activity towards the end of the night.  Perhaps the activity period for this shower stretches longer than expected?  The brightest meteor was a beautiful mag -2 antihelion that flared across the Milky Way in Cygnus.


August 16/17 2013 2013, 06:30-08:35 UT (02:10-04:30 EDT)
Location: Bootland Farm (Stewartville), Ontario, Canada 
(Long: -76 deg 29'; Lat: 45 deg 23')

Observed showers:
Kappa Cygnids (KCG) - 18:28 (277) +58
Anthelions (ANT) - 22:32 (338) -07
Theta Piscids (TPI) - 23:20 (350) +03
Delta Aquariids (SDA) - 23:52 (358) -11
Perseids (PER) 03:40 (055) +59
Alpha Triangulids (ATR) - 03:36 (054) +38
Eta Eridanids (ERI) - 03:16 (049) -05

Period 1: 06:30-07:30 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.55; facing S50 deg; teff 1.00 hr.
PER: five: 0; +2; +3; +4; +5
SDA: two: +2; +4
ATR: one: +4
KCG: none
ANT: none
TPI: none
ERI: none
Sporadics: six: +2(2); +3; +4(2); +5
Total meteors: fourteen

Period 2: 07:30-08:35 UT; clear; F 1.00; LM 6.55; facing S50 deg; teff 1.08 hr.
PER: six: +2; +3(3); +5(2)
ERI: four: 0; +1; +2; +4
ANT: one: -2
TPI: one: +4
ATR: one: +4
KCG: none
SDA: none
Sporadics: six: +2; +3(2); +4(2); +5
Total meteors: nineteen


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario