(meteorobs) Obs 13/14 Sep 2013

[Paul Martsching]

This night was actually predicted to be clear.  Since the next several nights are forecast to be partly cloudy or mostly cloudy I thought this would be my last chance to see several more SPE's before the Moon moves into the morning sky.  I went out and set up early and spent the first half hour getting dark adapted before Moon set.  During the time period 01:00-01:30 CDST most of the time I was looking East and the only meteor I saw was a mag +3 sporadic.  I began writing my observations at 01:30 CDST and was surprised by the amount of SPE activity during the first hour.  06:30-07:30 UT: six SPE's; 07:30-08:30 UT: one SPE; 08:30-09:30 UT: two SPE's.  The brightest SPE was a yellow mag. - 5 at 09:15 UT that ended in the "Head" of Ursa Major.  The next brightest SPE was a yellow mag. - 3 at 07:32 UT that traveled westward overhead.  Neither of these bright SPE's occurred during the best hour!  I don't know if the good hour was just a fluke of normal statistical fluctuation, or if something was "really going on".  I have observed this shower most years since 1999 and have particular interest in it since I saw the 2008 outburst.  

Usual observing site 4 miles NE of Ames, Iowa

14 Sep 2013 06:30-07:30 UT 47 deg F; dew pt 43 deg F; clear; some clouds low in SW; aver LM 5.8; ;1/2 lit Moon had set; facing East 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
SPE: six: - 2; -1; +1; +2; +3(2) All occurred in the time 06:41-07:15
STA: two: +1; +2
Sporadics: seven: +1; +2; +3(4); +4
Total meteors: fifteen

14 Sep 2013 07:30-08:30 UT 47 deg F; dew pt 43 deg F; wind calm; "clear" with frequent spreading jet contrails moving North to South; aver LM ~5.5; facing East 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
SPE: one: - 3
STA: three: - 1; 0; +1
Sporadics: four: - 2; +1(2); +3
At 08:29 a modest flash occurred from a meteor somewhere behind me.
Total meteors: eight (maybe sky conditions worse than I thought?)

14 Sep 2013 08:30-09:30 UT 45 deg F; dew pt 42 deg F; wind calm; frequent spreading jet contrails moving North to South - more and wider contrails during last 15 minutes; aver LM ~5.3; facing East 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
SPE: two: - 5; +1 
STA: one: +2
Sporadics: nine: -1(2); +1(3); +2(2); +3(2)
Total meteors: twelve

Paul Martsching