Catching up on observing reports : )
2020 URSIDS:
There was a possibility that the 2020 Ursids might produce a series of predicted outbursts during the night of December 21/22.
The weather appeared hopelessly cloudy within driving distance distance, but I decided to venture out anyway to the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve Site late at night, in a last ditch attempt to catch a possible clear break. It was a long shot. I arrived at the site near 1:30am EST, and the sky was about 95% cloudy (not much to be seen at all). I went ahead and setup my cameras, as the satellite image showed a small hole approaching in the west. It was very mild at 0C, and calm. Unlike the Geminids session, I opted to setup at the south end of the parking lot to gain a better view of the northern sky. In fact, all of the horizons were great from that spot, except for a low tree line in the west.
Just before 2am, the sky showed a gradual sign of clearing trend to the west ¡ª I could see a few more stars. By 2:10am, I could see the Big Dipper, and stars down to mag +3 in the south-west. Ursa Minor became visible. It took until 2:50am for the sky to clear up just enough (20% clouds) to attempt signing on for a meteor watch. The sky transparency was poor with a limiting magnitude of only 5.6. I was able to observe for 25 minutes before it clouded over again. During that time, I saw only two meteors (a December Leonis Minorid and a sporadic). I was viewing far past the predicted timing of possible Ursids outbursts, and indeed, none were seen.
UPDATE: The 2020 Ursids did in fact produce above average around 5 UT (midnight EST) as reported by the CAMS network in the US. No sensational outburst, but a significant number of Ursid orbits.
December 21/22 2020, 07:50-08:15 UT (02:50-03:15 EST)
Location: North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve Site, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -76 deg 56¡¯ 23¡± West; Lat: 44 deg 55' 04" North)
IMO session:
Observed showers:
Anthelion (ANT) - 06:44 (101) +23
December Monocerotids (MON) - 07:10 (108) +07
alpha Hydrids (AHY) - 07:50 (117) -06
Geminids (GEM) - 08:02 (121) +31
sigma Hydrids (HYD) - 09:03 (136) -00
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) - 10:49 (162) +30
Comae Berenicids (COM) - 12:01 (180) +15
December chi Virginids (XVI) - 13:02 (195) -13
December sigma Virginids (DSV) - 13:46 (206) +05
Ursids (URS) - 14:22 (215) +76
07:50-08:15 UT (02:50-03:15 EST); 1/5 trans; F 1.25; LM 5.60; facing NW80 deg; teff 0.42 hr
DLM: one: +2
Sporadics: one: +4
Total meteors: Two
2021 QUADRANTIDS:
I did not have any luck with the weather for the 2021 Quadrantids peak, however the sky partly cleared briefly at the end of the night at my east-end Ottawa home. In a period of ten minutes between 10:35-10:45 UT (05:35-05:45 EST), viewing from my deck, with a 75% waning gibbous moon, 50% clouds, and a limiting magnitude of only about +4.5, I saw 14 Quadrantids!! The brightest ones were mag 0. These rates (better than one per minute) were impressive in the poor sky conditions. It appears that the Quadrantids had a strong double-peak structure as reported by radio observations:
Clear skies,
Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario
