[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Quadrantids from Portland, OR
Skies were forecast to be partly cloudy on the night of January 2/3 in Western Oregon, and they certainly were. I scrapped a plan to go to a dark site because I didn't want to drive into the clouds, and stayed in my backyard. I got in a reasonable observing session from 11:36-12:48UT. Quadrantids were rather faint but active. Sporadic rates were in the toilet during my count; more showed up during casual watches before and after the count when conditions were unfavorable. Also, an orange QUA -3 and a -2 COM were seen under casual conditions, the only meteors of the night with persistent trains (several seconds each).
DATE: 2001 January 2/3
BEGIN: 11:36UT END: 12:48UT (Teff=1.2h)
OBSERVER: Wes Stone
LOCATION: Long: 122.53 West; Lat: 45.48 North
City & State: Portland, OR
RECORDING METHOD: Tape Recorder
-------------------------------------------------------
OBSERVED SHOWERS: (Use 3 letter Codes)
QUA
SPO
-------------------------------------------------------
OBSERVING PERIODS:
0 = None seen; / = shower not watched.
PERIOD(UT) FIELD LM QUA SPO
11:36-12:48 10.5h, +40 5.47 23 3
-------------------------------------------------------
MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTIONS:
SHOWER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 TOTAL
QUA 1 1 1 3 6 6 5 23
SPO 2 1 3
-------------------------------------------------------
SKY OBSCURED:
40% FROM: 11:36-11:51UT
15% FROM: 11:51-12:06UT
20% FROM: 12:06-12:21UT
30% FROM: 12:21-12:36UT
20% FROM: 12:36-12:48UT
Mean Cloud Cover: 25%
F=1.33
-------------------------------------------------------
DEAD TIME: NONE
BREAKS: NONE
-------------------------------------------------------
LIMITING MAGNITUDE:
STAR STAR
TIME AREA COUNT LM
11:36 3 10 5.49
11:36 9 8 5.42
11:51 3 19 5.49
11:51 9 9 5.44
12:06 3 10 5.49
12:06 9 9 5.44
12:21 16 6 5.64
12:21 9 8 5.42
12:36 9 8 5.42
MEAN LIMITING MAGNITUDE: 5.47
-------------------------------------------------------
METEOR DATA:
SPEED
# TIME(UT) SHOWER MAG (1-5) COLOR TRAIN(SEC)
-------------------------------------------------------
1 1136 QUA 3 3
2 1145 QUA -1 4
3 1146 QUA 2 3
4 1148 QUA 0 4
5 1150 QUA 4 4
6 1151 QUA 2 3
7 1200 QUA 2 3
8 1201 SPO 2 5 orange
9 1207 QUA 3 2
10 1207 QUA 3 4
11 1210 QUA 1 2
12 1211 QUA 4 3
13 1211 QUA 4 3
14 1211 SPO 2 3
15 1214 QUA 3 3
16 1217 QUA 4 3
17 1219 QUA 1 2
18 1230 QUA 2 3 blue
19 1232 QUA 2 4
20 1237 QUA 2 3
21 1237 QUA -2 2 orange->violet
22 1240 QUA 1 4
23 1241 SPO 3 3
24 1246 QUA 2 4
25 1247 QUA 4 4
26 1247 QUA 3 4
-------------------------------------------------------REMARKS:
Cloud cover high cirrus with lower, moving clouds.
About 10% solid obstructions in order to avoid light glare.
Temperature 40F.
#8 possible COM.
#15 near radiant.
#21 changed from orange to violet; both colors may have been present at once. Same coloration seen in a mag 0 QUA during casual watch.
Count ended at 12:48 due to sudden increasing cloud cover (>50%).
-------------------------------------------------------
--
Wes Stone
Portland, OR
Find the best deals on the web at AltaVista Shopping!
http://www.shopping.altavista.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from the 'meteorobs' email list, use the Web form at:
http://www.tiacdot net/users/lewkaren/meteorobs/subscribe.html