Greetings again all,

I ventured down once again to Matanzas Inlet for two more hours of pre-max Perseid observations.  This time, the cirrus clouds were gone and the sky was blissfully clear.  My results for each of the two hours was almost identical!

Here’s the data:

Observed for radiants:

  • CAP – alpha Capricornids
  • ERI – eta Eridanids
  • ANT – Anthelions
  • PER – Perseids
  • SDA: South delta Aquariids
  • PAU – Piscids Austrinids
  • NDA: North delta Aquariids
  • KCG: kappa Cygnids
  • BPE – beta Perseids

Session One:

August 3/ 2016, observer: Paul Jones, Location: Location: North Bank of Matanzas Inlet, Florida, Lat: 29.75N, Log: 81.24W (approximately 18 miles south of St. Augustine, Florida). 25% cirrus cloud interference, Facing: west

0325 – 0425 EDT (0725 – 0825 UT), Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks

  • 14 PER: +1(2), +2(5), +3(3), +4(2), +5(2)
  • 6 SDA: +1, +2, +3(3), +5
  • 1 NDA: +3
  • 1 CAP: +3
  • 1 ERI: +3
  • 8 SPO: +2, +3. +4(4), +5(2)
  • 31 total meteors

7 of the 31 meteors (6 PERs and 1 SDA) left trains. Yellow and blue tints were seen in the brighter PERs and the SDAs.

Session Two:

August 3/4, 2016 Observer: Paul Jones, Location: North Bank of Matanzas Inlet, Florida, Lat: 29.75N, Log: 81.24W (approximately 18 miles south of St. Augustine, Florida).

0425 – 0525 EDT (0825 – 0925 UT) Teff: 1.0 hour, No breaks, LM: 6.9, Clear, except for some very slight haze near the horizons, facing: west

  • 14 PER: +2(4), +3(8), +5(2)
  • 5 SDA: +2, +3(2), +4, +5
  • 1 NDA: +4
  • 2 ERI: +3, +4
  • 9 SPO: +1, +2, +3(3), +4(4)
  • 31 total meteors

9 of the 31 meteors left trains (7 PERs, 1 SDA and 1 SPO), a couple of the PERs were bluish and a couple were yellowish.

I was struck by how almost identical the two hours turned out in terms of the numbers. They were almost mirror images of one another!  The biggest difference in the meteors of all types this morning was that they were so much fainter than the previous morning – across the board.

I was lucky the skies were so good or I would not have seen many of them through yesterday’s cirrus cloud invasion…;o).

More later, Paul J in North Florida