(meteorobs) Observation August 15/16 2015

Pierre Martin pmartin at teksavvy.com
Mon Oct 19 00:04:05 EDT 2015


A few nights after the Perseids peak, I joined Jim Sofia at Bootland Farm.  Jim had his beautiful 18” dob, and I really enjoyed observing with him through the first half of the night.  Highlights included the Veil Nebula, Lagoon, Uranus and Neptune.  The sky was clear but transparency was below average.  There was lots of haze along the horizons, but the sky was pretty good overhead.  A few flashes of lightning were seen out in the distance (presumably from a t-storm somewhere on the horizon).  This was a very comfortable night with a low of +15C, and despite the mild temperature, the bugs were completely absent (except for a chorus of loud crickets).  Auroras were visible low in the north most of the night as a pale blue-whitish glow.  At one point while talking to Jim, I saw a lovely -3 sporadic that very slowly climbed straight up with a sparkly trail, lasting a few long seconds.  I also saw a nice yellow mag 0 Kappa Cygnid.

I did formal meteor observing from 11:15pm to 3:50am, for a total of almost four and a half hours of effective observing time.  The Perseids were still active, but only in small numbers as the Earth gradually exited 109P/Swift–Tuttle’s dust stream.  Minor notable activity was seen from the southern radiants (ANT, NDA & SDA’s along with one late CAP).  In all, I saw 69 meteors (27 Perseids, 9 N.Delta Aquariids, 4 S.Delta Aquariids, 4 anthelions, 1 Kappa Cygnid, 1 Capricornid and 23 sporadics).  The nicest meteor was a 40 degrees long yellowish Capricornid.  My IMO report can also be found here: http://vmo.imo.net/imozhr/obsview/view.php?id=15797


August 15/16 2015, 03:15-07:50 UT (23:15-03:50 EDT)
Location: Bootland Farm (Stewartville), Ontario, Canada 
(Long: -76 deg 29'; Lat: 45 deg 23')

Observed showers:
Kappa Cygnids (KCG) - 19:04 (286) +59
Anthelions (ANT) - 22:28 (337) -08
Theta Piscids (TPI) - 23:28 (352) +04
Delta Aquariids (SDA) - 23:49 (357) -11
Eta Eridanids (ERI) - 03:20 (050) -08
Perseids (PER) - 03:36 (054) +59
Beta Perseids (BPE) - 03:36 (054) +36


Period 1: 03:15-04:15 UT; clear, 2/5 trans; some haze over horizons; F 1.00; LM 6.21; facing SE70 deg; teff 1.00 hr
PER: four: +3(2); +4(2)
NDA: two: +1; +3
KCG: one: +2
SDA: one: +3
CAP: one: -1
Sporadics: three: +2; +3; +4
Total meteors: twelve

Period 2: 04:15-05:15 UT; clear, 2/5 trans; some haze over horizons; F 1.00; LM 6.25; facing SSE70 deg; teff 1.00 hr
PER: five: -1; +1; +2; +3; +4
NDA: three: -1; +2; +5
ANT: two: +4(2)
SDA: two: +2; +4
Sporadics: six: +1; +3; +4(3); +5
Total meteors: eighteen

Period 3: 05:15-06:18 UT; clear; 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.28; facing SSE70 deg; teff 1.01 hr (2.5 min dead time)
PER: five: 0; +1; +2(2); +4
NDA: three: +3(2); +4
ANT: one: +2
Sporadics: five: 0; +2(2); +3(2)
Total meteors: fourteen

Period 4: 06:18-07:27 UT; clear; 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.30; facing S70 deg; teff 1.00 hr (9 min dead time)
PER: eleven: 0; +1; +2(4); +3(2); +4(2); +5
NDA: one: +4
ANT: one: +5
Sporadics: eight: +2(3); +3(2); +4(3)
Total meteors: twenty-one

Period 5: 07:27-07:50 UT, clear, 2/5 trans; F 1.00, LM 6.32: facing S70, teff 0.383 hr
PER: two: +1; +2
SDA: one: +3
Sporadics: one: +4
Total meteors: four


Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario




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