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(meteorobs) Lyrids from the Mohave Desert



-- [ From: Robert Lunsford * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
 Expanded recipient data:
 To:   Rainer Arlt              \ CompuServe:  (100114,1361)

Skies were partly cloudy with cirrus for our first session Monday
night/Tuesday morning. These clouds were generally thin and posed no
problem except for lowering the limiting magnitude by a few tenths while
within the field of view. The group consisted of myself, Dave Holman,
Don Barnett and his guest Carol. The general activity was slow and the
Lyrids did not start producing until the last hour. By then the moon was
well up and causing a little interference. The worst of the cirrus also
occurred during the last hour. 


APRIL 21, 1998

0800-0900 UT   0.98   6.15   2 ABO   2 SPO   4 TOTAL

0900-1000 UT   0.96   6.15   1 LYR   8 SPO   9 TOTAL

1000-1100 UT   0.97   5.93   1 LYR   7 SPO   8 TOTAL

1100-1200 UT   0.98   5.80   5 LYR   1 SPO   6 TOTAL

TOTALS         3.89   6.01   2 ABO   7 LYR   18 SPO   27 TOTAL

The first column is the period watched in Universal Time (PDT+7 hours).
The second column is the percent of the time actually watching the sky.
Time is lost for breaks, plotting, and data entry. The third column is
the average limiting magnitude during this period with a minimum of 4
estimates per period. The last column lists the activity seen during
each period.

I was facing north at an altitude of 70 degrees. No breaks were taken
during this session. ABO = ALPHA BOOTIDS, LYR = LYRIDS, and SPO =
SPORADIC (random activity) 

Beginning Temperature/Relative Humidity: 60 F (16 C)  23%

Ending Temperature/Relative Humidity: 54 F (12 C)  30%

MAGNITUDES:

ABO   +3 (1)  +5 (1)     AVERAGE: +4.00
LYR   -4 (1)   -1 (1)   +1 (1)   +2 (1)   +3 (2)   +4 (1)   AVERAGE: +1.
14
SPO   -2 (1)   -1 (1)   0 (2)   +1 (1)   +2 (5)   +3 (3)   +4 (1)   +5 
(3)   AVERAGE: +2.00   
---------------------------------------------------------------- 
The sky was perfectly clear the entire night of maximum and the Lyrids
put on a good show. The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter was also
impressive and also followed during daylight through 11X80 binoculars.

APRIL 22, 1998

0715-0800   UT   0.71   6.32   8 LYR   1 SAG   1 SPO   10 TOTAL

0800-0900   UT   0.94   6.29   2 ABO   10 LYR   1 SAG   1 SPO   14 TOTAL

0900-1000   UT   0.96   6.31   7 LYR   2 SPO   9 TOTAL

1000-1100   UT   0.90   6.43   1 ABO   15 LYR   1 SAG   8  SPO   25
TOTAL

1100-1200   UT   0.89   6.32   21 LYR   1 SAG   6 SPO

TOTALS:          4.40   6.33   3 ABO   61 LYR   4 SAG   18 SPO

I was facing northeast at an altitude of 70 degrees. No breaks were
taken during this session. ABO = ALPHA BOOTIDS, LYR = LYRIDS, SAG =
SAGITTARID (from Libra) and SPO = SPORADIC (random activity) 

Beginning Temperature/Relative Humidity: 63 F (17 C)  29%

Ending Temperature/Relative Humidity: 54 F (12 C)  39%

MAGNITUDES:

ABO   +2 (2)  +3 (1)     AVERAGE: +1.67
LYR   -2 (3)   -1 (4)   0 (10)   +1 (12)   +2 (9)   +3 (11)   +4 (9)   +
5 (3)   AVERAGE: +1.70
SAG    0 (1)   +2 (2)   +4 (1)    AVERAGE: +2.00
SPO    0 (1)   +1 (2)   +2 (9)   +3 (3)   +4 (2)   +5 (1)   AVERAGE: +2.
33 
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I had a third night planned but an emergency meeting at work prevented
any further observing.

Bob Lunsford