(meteorobs) 2013 Geminid max from north Florida - Nice show indeed!

[Paul Jones]

Greeting again all,
    I was finally able to get back out under the stars this morning for my
first serious meteor session since the Perseids.  We had a front pass
through yesterday at just the right time that cleared out the skies. so I
got out in the pre-dawn for two and a quarter hours after moonset on my
rooftop meteor perch here in St. Augustine.
   All told I had, 108 Geminids and 37 others for 145 meteors
altogether during the watch.  Here is a quick hourly summary:

Dec. 12/13, 2013 Observer: Paul Jones, Location: 5 miles SW of St.
Augustine, Florida, LM: 6.0, Sky conditions: 20% cloud interference (second
hour)

0830 -0930 UT (0330 -0430 EST) Facing South:
63 Geminids
3 sigma Hydrids
2 Anthelions
12 Sporadics
80 total meteors


0930 -1045 UT (0430 - 0545 EST) Facing South, 20% cloud interference
45 Geminids
2 sigma Hydrids
18 sporadics
65 total meteors

Coastal clouds coming in off the Atlantic tried to spoil my second hour,
but I willed them away with severe threats and maybe a couple of
not-so-nice words thrown in...;o).
Most of the Gems were on the faint side and nothing came close to a
fireball for me.  The two brightest Gems I had were a lovely, golden yellow
-2 and a -1.  Lots of the usual Geminid clumping was noticed as I had one
case of two perfectly simultaneous Gems and many other instances of three
and four hitting within a few seconds of one another followed by several
minute lulls..
The sporadic rate in the second hour impressed the heck out of me as I had
a number of lovely swift, bright and train-leaving meteors shooting around
the sky in all directions!   The sporadics even sorta outdid the Gems for
awhile there in that second hour, but the Gems came back strong towards the
end.  .
I'll pass along the magnitudes later once I get everything translated from
my notes.

Best wishes and clear skies, Paul in St. Augustine, Florida
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