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(meteorobs) May 6th AM 2003 Eta Aq.s (MATBE) TORNADO ALLEY KS



Finally settling down somewhat weatherwise after a historic week of
bad weather here in the KC metro area.  Tornadoes and widespread F4
damage to the N of me Sunday the 4th of May, Thur the 8th saw F2
tornado ripping up Lawrence KS just 28 miles to the W of me, FRI eve.
May 9th we were again under the gun, with the worst scare for us on the
S outskirts of KC metro.  I had quarter to half dollar sized hail for 8 minutes
that eve. at around 930 pm, with F1 tornadoes less than 20 miles S of me,
then on to the SE of me 35 miles too.  Not a week to be repeated hopefully
anytime soon.  Not until you get repeated day after day weather threats like
that do you become aware of the threat actually possible here in the part
of the USA called Tornado alley.

DATE - 2003 May 5/6 0320-0510 (only 1.5hrs teff.) Central Time
            2003 May 6   0720-1010 UT
OBSERVER - Bert G. Matous
SITE - Rutlader, KS Louisburg Middle Creek Lake
          +38.5 N  94  37' W
28.5 miles S of where I live in Overland Park KS

OBSERVING SEGMENTS -

0320-0340 am LOCAL time - zs. 6.2, FOV - S at 80 degrees
meteors - 2 Eta Aq.s, 2 Sporadics
notes - 20-60% broken clouds moving SW to NE
0400-0500 am LOCAL time - zs per :20  6.2/6.2/6.0/5.2, FOV:S 70o
7 Eta Aq.s, 3 ANT, 1 Eta Ly, 7 Sporadics (2NPX)
0500-0510 zs- 5.2/4.5  No meteors seen FOV - West at 70o

Casual observations - One +1 Eta Lyrid seen in Aquila while on the
way down to site off to my East while driving, 2 sporadics during the
20 min. break 0340-0400 waiting out the cumulus cloud bank drifting
by, +3 and +2 Mag.s.

Observing method - Notepad without looking down, as usual.
Total Time - 1:30
Total Meteors Seen - 22 meteors (plus 3 casuals)
9 Eta Aquarids, 3 Anthelion, 1 Eta Lyrid, 9 Spor.(2 of them NApex)
(The casuals were +1 Eta Lyrid, +2 & +3 Sporadics)

MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTIONS - (N.Apex are separate here)
Origin  +1  +2  +3  +4  +5  +6  TOTAL
EAq      -     2    1    3    2    1       9    NO TRAINS!
ELy      -      -     -    -     1     -       1  
ANT      -     1    1    1     -    -        3    Nice meteors
Npx      -     1     -    1     -    -        2
Spor     1     -     2   1     3    -        7    (1.5 sec tr w/+1)

REMARKS - 10 MPH wind from S, No dew, high +50's F temp.

Tried to get started a bit earlier than the nite before, but the clouds
had something to say about that!  Still, got the full hour from 4-5AM
local time in with no clouds.  Was amazed that I saw ONLY 2 Eta
Aq.s from 0420-0510am!  A +6 at 423am and a +4 at 0445am. 
Definite off-year for the Eta Aquarids, we'll have to see what the
Orionids do this year.  I have trouble listing the Ant.'s as SAG, since
they originate from Scorpio, will stick with the ANT designation!!
They were the best meteors of the nite, the +2 was a long slow
beauty in the S heading E at 418 am. 
Was incorrect in my pre-report on 11 Eta Aq.s in 1.5 hr.s, ONLY
saw 9.

Next report to be listed is my late Quadrantid breakdown for 2003.

Regards,

Bert Matous
Overland Park KS
USA