(meteorobs) Meteors 17/18 August

[Paul Martsching]

I went out Sunday morning for an hour before Moon set and the hour and a half between Moon set and increasing morning twilight.  I was surprised by the Perseid activity during the first, Moon lit hour.  Hardly any Perseids the second hour even tho the sky was much better, but they picked up again in the last half hour.  The brightest Perseid was mag. - 3.  The best meteor of the session was a mag. - 5 white Kappa Cygnid that broke up as it passed thru the Square of Pegasus.  Saw only one other KCG in 2.5 hours.  The sky glow over Ames in the Southwest was bad.  On the drive home there was some fog over the limestone mine southwest of my observing site and fog here and there in town.  However the obvious horizon haze extended up only 3 degrees in the East, so I don't think it affected my observations much.  

Looked for showers: ANT; ATR; ERI, KCG; PER; SDA
No apparent SDA's were seen.

McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story Co, Iowa, USA

17/18 August 2013 02:30-05:00 am CDST (18 August 2013 07:30-10:00 UT)

18 Aug 2013 07:30-08:30 UT 57 deg F; dew pt 55 deg F; wind calm; clear; average LM ~5.3; 3/4 lit Moon in SW; facing ENE 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
ATR: one: +3
KCG: one: - 5
PER: eight: - 3; 0(2); +2(2); +3(3)
Sporadics: five: +1; +2(2); +3(2)
Total meteors: fifteen (Moon light)

18 Aug 2013 08:30-09:30 UT 54 deg F; dew pt 52 deg F; wind calm; clear; average LM 5.6; facing ENE 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
ANT: one: +1
ERI: one: - 1
KCG: one: - 2
PER: three: 0; +2; +4
Sporadics: six: +1(2); +2; +3; +4(2)
Total meteors: twelve

18 Aug 2013 09:30-10:00 UT 52 deg F; dew pt 51 deg F; wind calm; clear; average LM 5.5; facing ENE 50 deg; teff 0.5 hour.
ERI: one: - 1
PER: six: +1(2); +2(2); +3(2)
Sporadics: seven: +1(2); +2(2); +3(3)
Total meteors: fourteen (30 minutes)

Paul Martsching