(meteorobs) May 14/15, 2016 ETA observation from North Florida – not over yet!

[Paul Zeller]

  Hello Paul, and thanks for your interesting reports!

  I have what might be a dumb question, if you get the chance to reply. I
noticed in your email that you wrote that you barely had time to "log on"
before seeing your first meteor of the night. Do you have a phone or other
device that you use to keep track of what you see? I often use a digital
voice recorder when I go out, then play it back later and jot down the
information. But I'm not sure if that's the best way to record data, and I
was curious if you and other more experienced observers have found a more
convenient way.

  Thanks, and clear skies to you!

  Paul Z
On May 15, 2016 9:12 AM, "Paul Jones" <jonesp0854 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Greetings again all,
>
>   After several nights of clouds, I finally was able to return to the
> Matanzas Inlet site for a two hour, follow-up look at the ETAs this morning
> and darned if they aren’t still producing!  In fact, I had a respectable
> overall total of 38 meteors in the two hour session with 8 ETAs under a
> glittering, star-filled, pre-dawn sky.  I also caught 3 good candidates
> for the May beta Capricornid (MBC) radiant.
>
> Here are the results:
>
> May 14/15, 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).
>
>
>
> 0315 – 0415 EDT (0715 – 0815 UT) Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks, LM: 6.9,
> Clear, Facing: East
>
> 3 ETA: 0, +1, +3
>
> 1 MBC_ +2
>
> 12 SPO: -1, +1, +2, +3(3), +4(3), +5(2), +6
>
> 16 total meteors
>
>
>
> 0415 – 0515 EDT (0815 – 0915 UT) Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks, LM: 6.5
> (twilight), Clear, Facing: East
>
> 5 ETA: +2(2), +3(2), +4,
>
> 2 MBC: +2, +4
>
> 15 SPO: 0, +1(2), +2(2), +3(5), +4(2), +5, +6(2)
>
> 22 total meteors
>
>
>
> 7 0f the 8 ETAs left visible trains, predominate colors were yellow and
> orange with reddish tints.
>
>
>
> I had barely logged on and settled back to observe when a lovely +1 SPO
> shot south out eastern Hercules.  It looked almost like a late eta Lyrid
> (ELY) but didn’t line up well enough with the migrated radiant that shower
> would have had this morning, but it was nice anyway!  That meteor set the
> tone for many more bright and colorful meteors zipping in all directions
> from horizon to horizon throughout the entire watch!
>
>
>
> About five minutes after that first meteor, I saw my first MBC candidate,
> a nice, bluish-white, +2 that shot straight north in eastern Cygnus.  It
> tracked back perfectly to the projected radiant and although it resembled
> an ETA, it was way too far west to be one also it was distinctly bluish,
> which is a color I have yet to see any ETA exhibit.  Of course, most
> veteran meteor observers will admit that observed color in meteors is very
> subjective and rarely do any two folks agree on it
>
>
>
> Two of the ETAs in the first hour hit within about 3 minutes of each other
> and both were spectacular – earthgrazers both over 30 degrees in path
> length with long, spreading trains – awesome!!  Not long after, another
> ETA shot westward so fast that all I saw was the train it left behind
> sitting on the sky for several seconds!
>
> The second hour was busy also as the activity picked up all around the sky
> and several more nice ETAs were spotted.  Two more candidates for the MBC
> radiant were seen also, both showing exactly the same characteristics of
> the first one.  My seeing them left little doubt in my mind that all
> three were actually members of this recently discovered radiant.  The
> artificial satellite “parade” continued in earnest also this morning with
> around 20 to 25 of them spotted altogether!  I must say, they do add
> additional interest to these pre-dawn meteor watches!
>
>
>
> Weather permitting there is a brief dark window after moonset in the
> morning, so I’ll be back at it once again for one more look before closing
> the chapter on the 2016 ETAs.  It has indeed been a remarkable ride for
> them this year!
>
>
>
> Clear skies all, Paul J in north Florida
>
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