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(meteorobs) early April observations
Hi!
I managed to get some observing done earlier this month before the moon
interfered too much.
My first night, April 3/4 came a bit as a surprise. I noticed it cleared
at one point during the night. I scrambled to set up in my own backyard.
I was able to get 0.84 teff before clouds moved in again. I was actually
very pleased with my limiting magnitude that reached 5.8. I usually get
no more than 5.5 from my backyard surrounded by street and shopping center
light pollution. I saw, plotted 2 possible Kappa Serpentids...that's all.
I was quite successful observing the night of April 6/7. I got 3.65 teff
under 100% clear
conditions. I started observing as the moon was getting low in the west
and faced south-east
to keep its glare out of my field. It was a pretty quiet night...no
potential shower members at all, only sporadics. My best hour produced 5
sporadics. Lots of them faint meteors.
While observing on the 6/7, I did noticed a couple of interesting
satellites. The first at
8:06 UT began rather faint but slowly flared to M 0 and faded slowly. It
flared again a few seconds later at about M +2. Then it disapeared. It
was travelling north-south and appeared roughly 50d over the east.
The second satellite at 8:46 was a bit odd. It began as a M +4 moving
north-south, about 50d
over the south. It suddenly started to flash (twice per sec) for about 10
sec. The flashes
were between magnitude 2 and -1. After, the satellite continued its
motion faintly at M +4.
I am looking forward to the Lyrids hoping for good weather.
Clear skies!
Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario in the Great White North
Meteor observing and Graphic design