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(meteorobs) Some Central Texas Ursids

December 22, 2000 UTC - my first Ursids

30.32N, 97.22W, 150m; about 50 km east of Austin, Texas
(embarrassing, not exactly sure where I was; just drove
east of town and looked for a quiet spot -- rural area
with cows mooing and donkeys heehawing)

light breeze to calm; 1 to 2 degrees Celsius, plus or 
minus one maybe; perfectly clear (beautiful night!);
LM about +5.5 (?) throughout; no obstructions; only a
few airplanes (in evenings around Austin there are many
planes flying over in all directions)

FOV roughly 60 degrees up, stars to west of bowl of 
"Big Dipper" (approx. 2000 RA & Dec. below); above 
radiant (which barely got above 30 degrees near end of 
session)

Didn't get many magnitudes -- fighting cold, not yet 
well-organized, no tape recorder, limited experience, etc.  

Ditto for well-defined limiting magnitude.  I was seeing 
better than +5, because I could see all seven stars of 
the "Little Dipper" asterism in Ursa Minor (with all but 
Polaris lower than 30 degrees above horizon except near
end of session).   

Best meteors were a couple of +0 Ursids, one going straight 
up and one going straight down; plus a very short +2 going 
left just left of the radiant.  Many of the sporadics were 
*very* fast.

"Ur" for Ursids; "Sp" for Sporadics
- several sporadics seemed like Leonids (northern apex?)
- 4 to 6 sporadics seemed like Geminids (anthelion?) 

2000/12/22
Time - UTC Ur Sp R.A.  Dec
---------- -- -- ----- ---
7:10- 7:20 01 04 08:00 +58
7:25- 7:35 04 03 08:30 +61
7:40- 7:50 03 01 "
7:55- 8:05 01 04 09:30 +63
8:10- 8:20 02 02 "
8:25- 8:35 03 02 "
8:40- 8:50 03 02 09:50 +59
8:55- 9:05 03 03 "
9:10- 9:20 01 00 "
9:25- 9:35 03 04 10:20 +58
9:40- 9:50 02 02 "
9:55-10:05 00 02 "
---------- -- --        
2.0h Teff. 25 29

25 Ursids in 2 hours with radiant barely higher than 
30 degrees above horizon at end of session

would have liked to have gone another hour but was 
getting cold, yawning a lot, 35-40 minute drive back 
home, and finally a car was driving around in the area, 
perhaps delivering newspapers

continuing problem -- right gear to keep feet and hands 
warm!

now to get some sleep

clear, dark nights -- and happy holidays to all who are
having holidays!

Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexasdot edu - Austin, Texas, USA

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