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(meteorobs) Re:May 6/7 Eta Aquarids normal & faint
1997 May 6/7 Eta Aquarids continued normal, maybe a shade above normal. The
two usual hours 326-526 EDT (726-926 UT) had 5 and 17 Eta Aquarids in sky
LM7.2. The first one didn't appear until 400 EDT, with the radiant 14o up.
Total time observing was 2:14 hr (325-539 EDT) with 26 Eta Aquarids, 3 Mu
Virginids, 1 Alpha Scorpiid, and 9 sporadics. Average Eta magnitude dimmed
to 3.23, about the faintest I've ever seen. Magnitude totals -1 to +6 were
1,1,2,4,3,10,4,1 ; very heavy on +4's. Despite the faintness, trains were
still plentiful : 14/26 trained. Five of the +4's had trains, and one +5.
The -1m was blue with a 3-second train.
One yellow +1m Eta was seen very poorly deep in Pisces Austrinus ; I failed
to get a train out of this one.
Two mornings ago I saw the longest-pathed Eta , a yellow 0m that went 40
degrees down the western sky lasting 2 seconds and leaving a 2-second train.
That was the second Eta of the night. Haven't had any more like this one.
Norman W. McLeod III
Visual Program Coordinator
American Meteor Society
Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com