(meteorobs) Cinco de Mayo

Bruce McCurdy bmccurdy at shaw.ca
Thu May 5 06:51:55 EDT 2016


Hello to the list from wildfire country. The province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency, even as here in Edmonton, 435 kilometres southwest of Fort McMurray, life goes on more or less as normal. (If you can call the sudden influx of 18,000 refugees “normal”.) My heart is full of compassion but heavy with dread as the fires rage on. 

 

In Edmonton tonight a few precious drops of rain (glass half empty version: “precious few” drops of rain) bring hope of showers where they are really needed. But for now the attendant clouds have precluded viewing of a different kind of shower. The Eta Aquarids are a personal favourite despite – perhaps even because of – their extreme rarity at this latitude. The radiant rises at 03:20 and the Sun at 05:50. In between, a narrow window of low odds. It’s meteor-hunting for sport, as Koen rightly points out in his recent exchange with Paul. . 

 

Since I have no new meteors to report, I cast my mind back to another observing session on this date, in 2005. Eleven years ago, so the Moon in very nearly the same phase. Most years I try to get out right on Cinco de Mayo, though this particular shower is more forgiving than some with its wider plateau. 

 

On that occasion I did spy a couple of ETAs on the extended watch but waited for “the big one” as the sky brightened. I persisted right up to 45 minutes before sunrise, virtually the onset of civil twilight. I watched Vega, Deneb and Altair fade into the gloaming, hoping (as always) for that one bright streak that would make my night complete. I figured a magnitude minus-5 would be appropriate, given that the end time that ultimately went into the observing log was rather unique: 05-05-05 05:05 ! 

 

Alas, nature and random chance don’t give a hoot about human-contrived scales like clocks or calendars or magnitude systems, so no such bolide appeared at the appointed minute.  Such is the nature of sport, one doesn’t always win, even as it’s important to play the game. The rising birdsong that accompanies every eta Aquarid session made it worth my time and then some. 

 

Bruce

*****

 

 

From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org [mailto:meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Koen Miskotte
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2016 9:33 AM
To: Meteor science and meteor observing
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) May 3/4, 2016 ETA observation from North Florida

 

hi Paul,

A very nice report to read! I hope you get plenty clear nights in the coming days. 

Here in the Netherlands the weather forecasts are looking good. For me and fellow observer Michel Vandeputte it is a “sport” to hunt for an Eta Aquariid before the sky gets to light. At 3:10 local time the ETA radiant appears above the horizon, but at the same time morning twilight sets in. So we have a period of 1 or 1,5 hour to look for ETA’s. And we are very happy if we see 1 ETA! And (very) occasionally we see 2 of 3 ETA’s. 
Except for 2013, when I counted 12 ETA’s in the early morning of May 6. The ETA’s showed enhanced rates that year.

I was out during the nights April 30/May 1(no ETA’s), May 01/02 (1 ETA , +4) en last night May 03/04 (1 ETA, +4). And more clear nights will follow according to the weather predictions.

Regards, Koen

 

 

 

 

From: Paul Jones <mailto:jonesp0854 at gmail.com>  

Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2016 3:46 PM

To: Global Meteor Observing Forum <mailto:meteorobs at meteorobs.org>  

Subject: (meteorobs) May 3/4, 2016 ETA observation from North Florida

 

Hi again all,

     Here is a more detailed report on my one hour ETA session from up on the "meteor roof" this morning.  One correction from the summary report: it was 17 total meteors vice 18.

 

May 3/4, 2016, Observer: Paul Jones, Location 5 miles southwest of St. Augustine, Florida 

 

0410-  0510 EDT (0810 - 0910 UT) Teff: 1.0 hours, No breaks LM: 6.0, Clear, Facing: South

 

8 ETA: 0, +2, +3(3), +4(2). +5(1)

1 ELY: +4

1 ANT:  -1

7 SPO: +1, +2, +3(3), +4(1), +5(1)

17 total meteors

 

5 of the 8 ETAs left visible trains (strangely though, the zero mag ETA did not)

 

I had two ETAs in quick succession about 15 seconds apart no more than three minutes into the watch, then it took about 20 minutes for me to see another.   As usual, most of the ETAs I saw were long-pathed and left nice trains.  They looked like quick, glowing  darts being thrown up into the sky from someone standing on the southeastern horizon.  I love the ETAs for this visual effect that only they seem to be able to produce in quite this way.

 

The one eta Lyrid (ELY) was faint and short going south near the bottom of Lyra, it will be interesting to see how this little shower evolves over the course of the next few mornings and this minor radiant is an added bonus to ETA watches in early May.  

 

The top meteor of the morning was by far the ANT!  It started in Ophiuchus and slowly paced its way northeastward going all the way over to the NE edge of Cygnus.  It glittered and sparked all along its path and left a thin train behind it.  It alternately glowed gold, silvery white, yellow and orange during the almost five seconds I had it in sight.  Not 30 seconds after that beauty finally ended, a nice +2 ETA popped going northwestward right over part of the track the ANT had just taken.  

 

I must have seen about a dozen satellites during the watch as well, going in just about  every direction save east to west....;o).

 

It looks like we have a frontal system coming through today or early tomorrow that should sweep out the skies behind it and give us a few cool and clear nights for the maximum period.  Hopefully, I can report for several more mornings.

 

Clear skies all, Paul

 

    

  _____  

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