Greetings again all,
Well, the “call of the wild” was just too much for me to resist this morning, as I awoke at 0200 EDT and looked out to see perfectly clear, sharp and star-filled skies. So, I journeyed the mere seven miles over to my trusty new Butler Beach observing site for two more hours of prime, pre-dawn seaside meteor observing. It was totally awesome indeed!
I put in two hours observing from 0300 – 0500 EDT and saw a total of 46 meteors under the top notch sky conditions. The JPEs showed up real well, as did the SCAs and the CANs. The PERs contributed five meteors to the last hour just before dawn. The number of observed artificial satellites was once again through the roof!
Here’s my data:
Observed for radiants:
CAP – alpha Capricornids
SCA_ sigma Capricornids
JPE – July Pegasids
PPS – pi Piscids
CAN – C Andromedids
ANT – Anthelions
PER – Perseids
July 10/11 2016, observer: Paul Jones, Location: Butler Beach, Florida (about three miles south of St. Augustine, Beach, Florida), Lat: 29.79 N, Long: 81.26 W., LM: 6.5, clear, Facing: east
0200 – 0300 EDT (0600 – 0700 UT), Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks
2 CAN: +2, +4
1 CAP: +2
1 SCA: +3
1 PER: +4
2 JPE: +1, 3
14 SPO: +1, +2(2), +3(4). +4(4). +5(3)
21 total meteors
6 of the 21 meteors left trains, the CAP and the SCAs were golden yellow.
0300 – 0400 EDT (0700 – 0800 UT), Teff: 1.0 hour, No Breaks
5 PER: +2(2), +3(2), +4
3 JPE: 0, +2, +3
2 CAN: +2, +3
2 SCA: +2, +4
13 SPO: -1, +1, +2, +3(4). +4(3), +5(3)
25 total meteors
9 of the 25 meteors left trains, the -1 SPO was orange/yellow in color with a train that lasted about three seconds. The zero mag JPE also left a nice train behind it.
All of the various radiant sources produced well for me this morning with the exception of the ANTs. This radiant has been strangely quiet the last few mornings, maybe because the radiant is well over in the SW sky by the time I get out to observe. All the other radiants have more than made up for it, though!
The zodiacal light was very evident this morning during the second hour, like an inverted ice cream cone stretching out all the way over into Aquarius! It was amazing to see the sharp, flat angle the ecliptic path makes with respect to the eastern horizon this time of year. The summer Milky Way was stunning as well this morning as I had two broad columns of light stretching across the sky above me – amazing! I never seem to tire of taking in Nature’s awesome celestial spectacles!
Clear skies all, Paul J in North Florida