(meteorobs) Observation September 25/26 2014

[Pierre Martin]

Hi everyone,

Catching up on an observing report from last month - when we had a gorgeous stretch of very clear skies for a few days.

I did a late-night session for meteors between 2:30-6:00am at Bootland Farm.  The sky quality was very good (3/5 transparency) and it was a very comfortable night.  I noticed a faint green aurora above the northern horizon when I arrived, but the display did not last very long.

Meteor activity was pretty good (a count of 45 in a little over 3 hours), with several Delta Aurigids, and a number of South Taurids and early Orionids.  I stayed “on” deep into morning twilight to try and see activity from the Daytime Sextantids, perhaps a nice earthgrazer or two, but I saw none.

The most interesting meteor was a slow moving mag +3 sporadic that flared three times on a long path, and had a “nebulous” look to it as it vanished.

The night ended with a surprisingly bright zodiacal light in the east, and a lovely pass by the ISS.


September 25/26 2014, 06:30-10:00 UT (02:30-06:00 EDT)
Location: Bootland Farm (Stewartville), Ontario, Canada 
(Long: -76 deg 29'; Lat: 45 deg 23')

Observed showers:
Southern Taurids (STA) -  01:32 (023) +07
Delta Aurigids (DAU) - 05:08 (077) +57
Orionids (ORI) - 05:24 (081) +10
Beta Aurigids (BAU) - 05:52 (088) +48
Sep-Oct Lyncids (SOL) - 07:26 (111) +47
Daytime Sextantids (DSX) - 10:16 (154) -01


Period 1: 06:30-07:31 UT; clear; temp 10C, F 1.00; LM 6.44; facing SSE50 deg; teff 1.01 hr
DAU: three: 0; +2; +3
ORI: two: +2(2)
STA: one: +5
Sporadics: four: +3; +4; +5(2) 
Total meteors: ten

(Break from 07:31-07:42 UT)

Period 2: 07:42-08:43 UT; clear; temp 8C, F 1.00; LM 6.48; facing SSE50 deg; teff 1.01 hr
STA: four: +3; +4(2); +5
DAU: two: +4; +5
ORI: two: +2; +4
SOL: one: 0
Sporadics: nine: 0; +1; +3(3); +4(2); +5(2)
Total meteors: eighteen

Period 3: 08:43-09:45 UT; clear; ground fog; temp 7C, F 1.00; LM 6.34; facing SSE50 deg; teff 1.02 hr
DAU: two: +2; +5
STA: one: +1
ORI: one: 0
BAU: one: +2
Sporadics: nine: +2(2); +3(2); +4(2); +5(3)
Total meteors: fourteen

Period 4: 09:45-10:00 UT; clear; ground fog; temp 6C, F 1.00; LM 5.35; facing SSE50 deg; teff 0.25 hr
DAU: one: +4
Sporadics: two: +2; +3
Total meteors: three


Clear skies,
Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario