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(meteorobs) Re:May 4/5 Eta Aquarids good
At last the Eta Aquarids put on a good show. The two complete hours 326-526
AM (726-926 UT) produced 9 and 22 Etas. I can recall only 3 other times
that I have reached a rate of 20. The interval 426-539 (726-939 UT) had 27
Etas. Total time 2:24 hours, sky 7.2, 36 Eta Aquarids, 2 Mu Virginids, 2
Alpha Scorpiids, and 16 sporadics ; meteor total 56. There were 24 Eta
trains , a pace of 2 out of 3 ! Most of the mag +3's and brighter were
trained, as well as two +4's and one +5. The brightest Eta Aquarid was an
intense orange 0 with a terminal burst at -2m, and its train was 5 seconds.
Tomorrow will be interesting, to see if a back-to-back rate of 20+ can be
achieved for the first time. Each of the other occasions was an isolated
occurrence amidst more normal rates in the mid-teens.
It was a surprisingly cold night for so late in the year, must have been
down to 60oF or slightly below. All the haze and clouds were swept away. A
few mosquitoes around also, beginning to hatch from the recent rains.
On the way out I was astonished to see a house built only 3 blocks from my
observing site. Then upon leaving I saw another new house a few blocks
further away. Didn't think anyone would come to live this far out of town.
The area has been completely vacant from the time it was opened up 9 years
ago, until now. There is a second entrance to my site I better soon use to
keep people from getting freaked out. Eventually I may have to pick another
spot a couple of miles closer in, where development hasn't hit yet.
Norman W. McLeod III
Visual Program Coordinator
American Meteor Society
Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com