(meteorobs) Observation July 28/29 2014

Pierre Martin pmartin at teksavvy.com
Mon Aug 4 16:03:58 EDT 2014


Despite the hazy skies (forest fire smoke) plaguing the skies this summer, I was able to get out a couple of times on late-July mornings for meteor observing.  On the 29th, the sky was clear and it was a comfortable (13C) and breezy night.  A few mosquitoes, but the thermacell took care of that.  During the drive to the site, I saw a beautiful orange CAP that travelled slowly with a wake, and ended near Arcturus.  I found a deer looking at me just inside the gate to the property.  The sky overhead was clear but consistently hazy, especially towards the horizons; the milky way was visible but it was unimpressive.

After doing a bit of casual observing, I signed on at 1:45am (local time) and watched for two and a half hours.  I saw 44 meteors, including 20 SDA's.  The other active radiants were weakly active.  I believe the rates would have been more impressive had it not been for the hazy skies.

The most impressive meteor was a long mag 0 blue-green Eridanid with a 1 sec train.


July 28/29 2014, 05:45-08:20 UT (01:45-04:20 EDT)
Location: Bootland Farm (Stewartville), Ontario, Canada 
(Long: -76 deg 29'; Lat: 45 deg 23')

Observed showers:
Gamma Draconids (GDR) - 18:42 (281) +51
Alpha Capricornids (CAP) - 20:20 (305) -11
Anthelions (ANT) - 21:08 (317) -16
Delta Aquariids (SDA) - 22:42 (340) -16
Piscids Austrinids (PAU) - 22:44 (341) -32
Psi Cassiopeiids (PCA) - 01:20 (020) +68
Perseids (PER) - 01:36 (024) +53
Alpha Triangulids (ATR) - 02:07 (032) +41
Eta Eridanids (ERI) - 02:08 (032) -16


Period 1: 05:45-06:50 UT; clear but hazy/smoke; temp 14C, F 1.00; LM 6.21; facing S60 deg; teff 1.00 hr (5 min dead time)
SDA: seven: 0; +2; +3(2); +4(3)
ANT: two: +1; +4
GDR: one: +2
CAP: one: +3
PER: one: +4
Sporadics: four: +2; +3; +4; +5
Total meteors: sixteen

Period 2: 06:50-07:51 UT; clear but hazy/smoke; temp 13C, F 1.00; LM 6.10; facing S60 deg; teff 1.00 hr (0.75 min dead time)
SDA: nine: 0(2); +2; +3(2); +4(2); +5(2)
GDR: two: +3; +4
PER: two: +3(2)
PCA: one: +4
ATR: one: +5
ERI: one: 0
Sporadics: three: +3; +4; +5
Total meteors: nineteen

Period 3: 07:51-08:20 UT; clear but hazy/smoke; temp 13C, F 1.00; LM 5.61; facing S60 deg; teff 0.48 hr.
SDA: four: +1; +4(3)
ANT: two: +2; +3
Sporadics: three: +3(3)
Total meteors: nine


Clear skies,
Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario


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