(meteorobs) May 6/7, 2016 ETA observation from North Florida

[Paul Jones]

Greetings again all,

   I journeyed back down to the Matanzas Inlet, Florida site for another
two hour ETA session this morning and found the skies were even better (if
that's possible) than they were the previous morning for Jeffrey and me!
There were a couple of thunderstorms on the eastern horizon far off shore
riding the Gulf Stream, but their lightning flashes were only a minor
distraction.

    I decided to start my session this time at the half hour mark, so I
could back my second hour up to coincide with onset of morning twilight in
an attempt to finally crack the 20 ETA in an hour "magic number".  Turns
out, I came close but fell just short of it once again, but I was hardly
complaining!  Here's my data:

May 6/7, 2016 Observer: Paul Jones, Location: North Bank of Matanzas Inlet,
Florida, Lat: 29.75N, Log: 81.24W (approximately 18 miles south of St.
Augustine, Florida).



0330 – 0430 EDT (0730 – 0830 UT) Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks, LM: 6.9 Clear,
except for some distant lightning near the eastern horizon

10 ETA: +1(2), +2, +3(2), +4(2), +5(2), +6

2 ANT: +2, +3

2 ELY: +2, +4

13 SPO: +3(5), +4(4), +5(3), +6

27 total meteors



0430 – 0530 EDT (0830 – 0930 UT) Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks, LM: 6.3
(twilight), Clear, except for some distant lightning near the southern
horizon

17 ETA: -1, 0, +1, +2(4), +3(5), +4(3), +5(2)

2 ELY: +2, +3

1 GAQ: +4

1 ANT: +3

11 SPO: +1, +2(2), +3(3), +4(3), +5, +6

32 total meteors


17 of the 27 ETAs left trains


The first hour produced two majestic ETA earthgrazers, both +1, tracking
across no less than 90 degrees of sky leaving spreading trains behind
them.  Each was the kind of meteor you can just sit back and enjoy the show
to the fullest!  They alone made the watch worthwhile.  There was a nice
burst of sporadic meteors also, that got me up to a respectable count of 13
SPO for the hour.


The second hour, the ETAs noticeably shortened in their average path length
and became a bit more numerous, but couldn't quite make it the that 20
magic number mark.  I couldn't blame twilight interference for it this
time, either...;o).  There were a couple of nice bright ones though.


I noticed that Bob Lunsford mentioned in his weekly column that the ETAs
were strangely devoid of fireballs and I totally concur with him on that.
I don't recall ever seeing an ETA fireball in all my years of observing
them, despite having the good looks at the shower that a lower latitude
allows.  They seem remarkably consistent in their brightness both from hour
to hour and from year to year - amazing.


   The last hour was neatly topped off by a way cool pass of the
International Space Station!   It made its usual SW to NE sojourn across
virtually the entire sky briefly reaching almost -3 in magnitude!  I was
tempted to wave at the astronauts as they went over...;o).  Other than
that, the artificial satellite population slacked off this morning from
what it had been the last couple.



    I must say that I am falling in love this observing site.  It is so
soothing to hear the constant sound of the breaking surf in the distance
and to hear the frequent calls of aquatic birds as they pass by fishing in
the inlet behind me.  The occasional puttering of a small fishing boat is
heard as Matanzas Inlet is well known and a popular haunt of local human
fishermen also.  Back at it in the morning if the weather holds...


Clear skies, Paul J in North Florida
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