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Hello all,

I had a successful observation night (May 30/31) at Balsam Provincial Park in the south-central area of Ontario! Accompanied by Shane Finnigan and Raymond Dubois. Skies about 6.1-6.3 mag overhead, but hazy horizons due to forest fire smoke. Saw several Tau Herculids, and a moderate outburst (in the ZHR 50-60 range I think) between 3-6 UT (23h-2am EDT) with a noticeable uptick in TAH activity around 4-5UT (which is close to the predicted time of outburst). All the Tau Herculids radiated from the expected radiant. But no major outburst or meteor storm. Number of bright meteors early in the night, mostly fainter ones later on. As the night went on, the shower subsided but remained more weakly active.

The Tau Herculids seemed to be very fragile, delicate meteoroids — many extremely short paths. The brighter ones often had multiple flares and terminal flashes. The brightest Tau Herculids reached -3 and displayed thick wakes that seemed “sparkly” (fragmentation).

Going through the observing data and images. Full report soon…

Clear skies!

- Pierre

Hello all,

I just wanted to post an update / reminder on two dark observing sites that are available to amateur astronomers to use. The question may arise with people looking to find a place to observe tomorrow night’s possible Tau Herculids meteor outburst. Please ensure that you read, understand and follow the procedures that the property owners ask us:


1) Moosecreek observing site:

This is a location on private farm land property, that is available from Spring to Fall. It is deep into a corn field, and is quiet, well away from road traffic and offers good horizons in all directions. The road leading into the field is

***IMPORTANT: The owner, Mr Thomas Ur as that we kindly let him know if we plan to go on his property, either by calling or texting him at 613-859-2635***.

Here’s the files in the group’s “observing sites” folder where you can find the maps to get to the site. Please note that the field access has changed a bit. When you reach the “Y” junction is the field (approx 1.5 km going in from the main road), please take the LEFT. This will be a slightly coarser gravel road for another 300m until it reaches a dead end (with a wide circular space to turn-around. We usually setup in that turn-around space, with decent amount of room for a few cars/setups).
/g/oaog/files/Maps/Moose%20Creek

Clear Sky Chart:



2) Bootland Farm observing site:

This is a dark sky site, in a quiet open grassy field with a very nice view of the sky, and well isolated from all sources of lights and traffic. The owner, Mr. Bootland allows amateur astronomers to setup on the property anytime, from Spring to Fall. There is no need to ask permission; we can go when we want. Mr. Bootland only ask that we use the part of the field that is allocated for us, pick up all our belongings at the end and close the metal gate at the property entrance when we’re done. I personally have enjoyed the quietness and seclusion of this site for many years, located just an hour from Ottawa. Be prepared for a lot of dew (bring your boots and heaters for camera lens and scopes)! Please see the files area of our group for the detailed instructions, and guidelines in the link below. The observing field can be quite grassy but it is safe and flat enough for any vehicle to drive on. It is usually best to just back in and setup, this way, the field can accommodate 8-10 cars.
/g/oaog/files/Maps/Bootland%20Farm

Clear Sky Chart:



We are fortunate to have access to private property sites. You are welcome to go, but please be respectful, ensure that your vehicle is in good working order, and be prepared with everything that you need. These sites do not offer any kind of amenities ; they are just open fields with good views of the sky :)


There are certainly options for even darker sky sites to check out, such as the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve (NFDSP) near Plevna, and the Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Areas (along highway 41 south of Kaladar). These sites are a longer drive outside Ottawa, but offer pristine skies during moonless nights!




Clear skies!
- Pierre

Cool!

Here’s a report on my recent outing to Bootland Farm (near Stewartville, ON, about 75 km west of Ottawa). I observed meteors for a few hours until the morning twilight. The sky was clear with below-average transparency, and the low +7C (44F) was cool enough to keep the bugs away. It was very humid and damp; I was glad that I had my boots.

In the three hours that I observed, I saw 21 meteors (including 2 anthelions, one eta Aquariid, one possible Tau Herculid and 17 sporadics). The brightest meteor was a +1 yellow-orange sporadic. The possible Tau Herculid seen was a +4 slow meteor that seemed to become nebulous or fragment.

The crescent Moon rising in the east in the morning dawn, along with the Jupiter, Mars and Venus grouping was quite pretty.

The weather is looking fairly promising for tomorrow night’s potential Tau Herculids outburst, but scattered thin clouds and cirrus might mean a road trip to hunt for the clearest dark skies.


May 24/25 2022, 05:05-08:15 UT (01:05-04:15 EDT)
Location: Bootland Farm, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -76 deg 29’ West; Lat: 45 deg 23' North)
IMO session:

Observed showers:
Anthelion (ANT) - 16:56 (254) -23
eta Aquariids (ETA) - 23:13 (348) +04
May Camelopardalids (CAM) - 08:08 (122) +79
Tau Herculids (TAH) - 13:56 (209) +28


05:05-06:05 UT (01:05-02:05 EDT); 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.15; facing N55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
ANT: one: +4
Sporadics: five: +2; +4(2); +5(2)
Total meteors: Six

06:05-07:05 UT (02:05-03:05 EDT); 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.20; facing N55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
ANT: one: +2
ETA: one: +2
Sporadics: eight: +1; +2; +3; +4(3); +5(2)
Total meteors: Ten

07:05-08:15 UT (03:05-04:15 EDT); 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 5.64; facing N55 deg; teff 1.16 hr
TAH: one: +4
Sporadics: four: +2; +3(2); +4
Total meteors: Five


Total meteors for this session: 21


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

Yummy picture of totality. Espcially like the stars in the background.

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attilladanko@...

Hello all,

I joined Raymond Dubois and Shane Finnigan (near Renfrew, ON) to observe and photograph the total lunar eclipse of May 15/16 2022. It was a beautiful eclipse even though the clouds interfered for a good part of the totality. Here’s my images using a Canon 6D DSLR with a William Optics 80mm f/5.6 refractor:



(please scroll down the web page to see all the images)

Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

I enjoyed a pleasant night of observing at Shane Finnigan’s property, near Renfrew (about 80 km west of Ottawa), with the company of Raymond Dubois and Shane to view the post-maximum Lyrids. (Unfortunately, the previous night was overcast for the peak rates). Hearing the sounds of the frogs, owls, birds and the country fresh air is always good. While chatting with Shane and Raymond, while the radiant was still very low, I casually saw a 30 degrees long Lyrids earthgrazer! Not too long after, a very slow +3 meteor came about and appeared to have radiated from the h-Virginid radiant.

I watched meteors for two and a half hours, from 11:25pm to 1:55am (local time). The sky had some passing cloudiness that delayed the start of my session, but after that, the clouds were thin and scattered, and were only a minor nuisance. I counted 12 meteors (6 Lyrids, one anthelion and 5 sporadics). The brightest Lyrid was a blue -2 meteor with a one second train. It appeared that the Lyrids activity tapered off even as the radiant climbed. Unfortunately, my session was cut short when the sky became overcast just before 2am EDT.


April 22/23 2022, 03:25-05:55 UT (23:25-01:55 EDT)
Location: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
(45°25’48"N 76°38’24"W)
IMO session:

Observed showers:
h Virginids (HVI) - 13:28 (202) -10
Alpha Virginids (AVB) - 13:39 (205) +04
Anthelions (ANT) - 15:04 (226) -17
Lyrids (LYR) - 18:17 (274) +33
eta Aquariids (ETA) - 22:00 (330) -05


03:25-04:25 UT (23:25-00:25 EDT); 2/5 trans; F 1.09; LM 6.10; facing E60 deg; teff 1.00 hr
LYR: four: -2; -1; +3; +5
ANT: one: +2
Sporadics: one: +2
Total meteors: Six

04:25-05:25 UT (00:25-01:25 EDT); 2.5/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.20; facing E60 deg; teff 1.00 hr
LYR: one: +2
Sporadics: two: +3; +4
Total meteors: Three

05:25-05:55 UT (01:25-01:55 EDT); 2.5/5 trans; F 1.07; LM 6.20; facing E60 deg; teff 0.50 hr
LYR: one: +3
Sporadics: two: +3; +5
Total meteors: Three


Total meteors for this session: 12


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

On January 21, 2022, satellite expert Kevin Fetter alerted the community that a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch would produce a luminous cloud in space, during the rocket fuel dump. The effect would look like a small “comet" dissipating and expanding in the sky. The event is described here:


I was able to find the satellite and view the event from near my home in Orleans (Ontario), despite all the light pollution and the -28C cold! I used a Canon 6D and a 70-200mm lens to create the following time lapses. The stars are moving because I wasn't tracking. But the satellite appears to be in a geosynchronous, as it pretty much stays in the same part of the sky. As such, it appears fixed on the images.

The first time lapse is a short sequence of 15 two seconds exposures taken in 1 minute, with the lens set at 70mm. ISO3200. This was shortly after the dump occurred. The compact cloud is visible near the bottom right side, and Orion is on the left side:



The second time lapse is a longer sequence of 78 two seconds exposures taken in about 25 minutes, with the lens set at 200mm. ISO3200. It shows the expanding cloud and the faint satellite moving away from it:



I thought that was pretty neat to see, even with my frozen fingers! :)

Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

On the following night, I went out again for the Quadrantids. The timing for the maximum activity was not well positioned for North America this year (predicted during the late afternoon hours with a low radiant). Nonetheless, I saw this as an opportunity to hunt for earthgrazers. The weather was marginal but the Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area (about 170 km south-west of Ottawa) seemed more or less favourable. I decided to take a chance and head out in the mid afternoon, for an early observing start.

Once at the site, I quickly setup and started observing just after 6:00pm (local time) in deep twilight. The temperature was milder than the previous night at -12C (10F) but with a -22C windchill. The sky transparency was good at the beginning, but the traffic on nearby highway 41 caused a lot of flashes of lights in my eyes. I moved my chair in a different position and that helped.

My first QUA was seen 12 minutes into the session; a 45 degrees long earthgrazer that travelled from Draco to Cepheus, and flared in and out three times! Four more earthgrazers were seen during the first hour. The radiant was less than 10 degrees high in the NNW. The brightest meteor of that hour was actually a -1 yellow-orange anthelion that travelled 40 degrees!

During the second hour, I saw 10 QUAs, and nearly all of them were earthgrazers! The most impressive was a 70 degrees long QUA at 8:09pm (local time) seen going from Ursa Major all the way to Orion! It wasn’t the brightest meteor at +3 but the path length made it very impressive. Just 30 seconds later, another QUA earthgrazer appeared, this time a +5 that shot 30 degrees! Seeing all these earthgrazers was impressive considering that the radiant was at its lowest point in the sky, near the northern horizon (less than 5 degrees high). Surely, the QUAs must have still been somewhere near full tilt at that time.

Unfortunately, my session was cut short just after 9pm (local time) when a wall of clouds/haze quickly rose up from the west and obscured the entire sky. I checked the weather satellite map and it didn’t look good. There was more clouds than expected coming. I decided to pack it in and go to sleep in the car. I was a long way from home, and not too keen on driving back home fatigued at night.

I woke up just after 4am (local time), and immediately noticed the sky overhead was quite clear! I decided to head back out and attempt another sign-on. The sky was now very different with the QUA radiant situated almost overhead. I was curious to see what the QUAs would be up to, now several hours past the expected maximum. Not surprisingly, the QUAs rates were very low with only 6 meteors seen in a little over one hour. The brightest meteor was actually a sporadic that reached -3 seen shortly after I signed-on. At 5:31am (local time), the sky clouded over again and I sign-off.

In all, I saw 39 meteors (including 20 Quadrantids, 2 December Leonis Minorids, 2 December chi Virginids, one anthelion, one January Leonid, one December sigma Virginid and 12 sporadics).


January 3/4 2022, 23:05-10:31 UT (18:05-05:31 EST)
Location: L&A County Public Dark Site, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -77.116 West; Lat: 44.559 North)
IMO session:

Observed showers:
Anthelions (ANT) - 07:32 (113) +22
alpha Hydrids (AHY) - 08:24 (126) -08
Omicron Leonids (OLE) - 08:44 (131) +11
sigma Hydrids (HYD) - 09:45 (146) -04
January Leonids (JLE) - 09:50 (148) +24
theta Pyxidids (TPY) - 11:19 (170) -28`
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) - 11:35 (174) +25
December chi Virginids (XVI) - 13:18 (199) -15
December sigma Virginids (DSV) - 14:28 (217) +02
Quadrantids (QUA) - 15:16 (229) +50


23:05-00:15 UT (18:05-19:15 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.38; facing N55 deg; teff 1.17 hr
QUA: four: +3(2); +4(2)
ANT: one: -1
Sporadics: four: +2; +5(3)
Total meteors: Nine

00:39-02:03 UT (19:39-21:03 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.03; LM 6.47; facing N55 deg; teff 1.20 hr
QUA: ten: 0(2); +2; +3; +4(2); +5(4)
Sporadics: two: +2; +3
Total meteors: Twelve

09:15-10:31 UT (04:15-05:31 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.04; LM 6.55; facing N55 deg; teff 1.26 hr
QUA: six: 0; +1; +2(3); +5
DLM: two: +3; +4
XVI: two: +5(2)
JLE: one: +2
DSV: one: +3
Sporadics: six: -3; +4; +5(3); +6
Total meteors: Eighteen


Total meteors for this session: 39


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

I decided to head out despite the cold (-26C, -15F) for a late night session to catch the Quadrantids several hours before their predicted peak. The sky was very clear but windy, so I drove to Johnston road, near the town of Bourget, about 50 km east of Ottawa. The trees on one side of the road create a good wind protection - reducing the windchill factor. Without that, the wind would have made the session unbearably cold. I was well prepared with my winter sleeping bag, insulated mat, heaters, down parka, and multiple layers of clothes. The site was quiet, with not a single car going by.

I observed exactly two hours, from 3:15am to 5:15am (local time). I saw 35 meteors (19 Quadrantids, 3 January Leonids, 2 December sigma Virginids, one anthelion, one December Leonis Minorid, one sigma Hydrid and 8 sporadics).

The QUAs hourly visual rates were 9 and 10. These low rates were well expected so far ahead of the maximum; one that is usually a sharp, narrow peak. Many of the QUAs were on the faint side. The brightest were two QUAs reaching +1.


January 2/3 2022, 08:15-10:15 UT (03:15-05:15 EST)
Location: Bourget, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -75.104° W; Lat: 45.434° N)

Observed showers:
Anthelions (ANT) - 07:32 (113) +22
alpha Hydrids (AHY) - 08:24 (126) -08
Omicron Leonids (OLE) - 08:44 (131) +11
sigma Hydrids (HYD) - 09:45 (146) -04
January Leonids (JLE) - 09:50 (148) +24
theta Pyxidids (TPY) - 11:19 (170) -28`
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) - 11:10 (168) +28
December sigma Virginids (DSV) - 14:28 (217) +02
Quadrantids (QUA) - 15:16 (229) +50


08:15-09:15 UT (03:15-04:15 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.10; facing NE55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
QUA: nine: +1; +2; +3(3); +4; +5(3)
JLE: two: +3; +5
ANT: one: +1
DLM: one: +5
HYD: one: +3
DSV: one: +5
Sporadics: seven: +2; +3(3); +4(2); +5
Total meteors: Twenty-two

09:15-10:15 UT (04:15-05:15 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.10; facing NE55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
QUA: ten: +1; +2; +4(4); +5(4)
JLE: one: +5
DSV: one: +5
Sporadics: one: +5
Total meteors: Thirteen


Total meteors for this session: 35


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

Hello again,

For the Geminids 2021 peak night, Raymond Dubois joined me for an excellent night of observing at the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve (NFDSP), located about 160 km west of Ottawa near the town of Plevna. The weather looked especially promising, although the waxing gibbous phase (10 days old) was up until 3:00am (local time) that night. From past experience, the Geminids have often put on a good show even during moonlit or moderately light polluted skies. I was also hopeful that the timing for the predicted peak would favour seeing high rates on this night.

In terms of temperature, this was one of the most comfortable night that I’ve ever had for the Geminids! It was unusually mild for this time of the year, here, with a low of only -4C (25F). This made setting up equipment a breeze. Usually for the Ottawa region we would expect to have temperatures of -20C (-4F) or colder on clear nights in mid December. The sky was nice and transparent, and the fence near us kept the Moon’s glow out of sight after 1:30am. A large number of cars arrived during the night, with a group of about 20 people coming to view and photograph meteors. They remained in the parking area, and again the fence shielded our eyes and cameras reasonably well.

I took my time setting up my cameras. My plan was to start observing later at night when the Moon would be lower. Yet, the moonlight did not seem to hinder the Geminids too much. Several meteors would catch my eyes, many bright ones too! I signed on at mmidnight (local time) and I’m glad I did because the Geminids were already producing visual rates of better than one per minute! My first hour had 65 Geminids, followed by another 60 in the second hour of my watch. A good number of negative magnitude GEMs were seen, including a -4 blue-green beauty that shot 30 degrees into Ursa Major, seen just after 1am (local time). The rates further increased to 80 GEMs seen in the third hour, with the Moon about to set. Then, the fourth hour was glorious, with dark mag 6.5 skies, and a visible winter Milky Way. Activity was high and superb… with 130 meteors seen (of which 110 were GEMs)! My fifth “hour" was cut short and lasted only a little over half an hour, due to clouds and haze that gradually covered the sky, but still yielded 50 GEMs. All in all, in over four and a half hours of observing, I saw 411 meteors (365 Geminids, 8 sigma Hydrids, 5 Comae Berenicids, 4 Monocerotids, 4 December Alpha Draconids, 3 December Sigma Virginids, 2 eta Hydrids, 2 December Leonis Minorids, 2 Ursids, one November Orionid and 15 sporadics). Ouf! It can be a bit of a challenge keeping track of so many active radiants active in mid-December, though I’m not complaining! A total of 7 fireballs were seen. The finest was a mag -5 GEM near the end of the night, that shot down into Orion and created haloes with the haze rising in that direction. Another GEM fireball, this time a -3 seen just a few minutes earlier, fragmented and had a vivid blue-green color.

My photography consisted of two cameras setup to track the sky for a period of about 5 hours, until the end of the night. Here’s one of two composite images. This one is of 98 Geminid meteors, captured on December 13/14 2021, between midnight and 5am (local time). Canon 5D and Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 (set at f/2.0), ISO800 (prior to 2:30am local time), ISO1600 (after 2:30am local time). Hundreds of 30 seconds exposures were taken, and the images with meteors were then combined together digitally:



The second composite is of 200 Geminid meteors, captured on December 13/14 2021, between midnight and 5am (local time). Canon 6D and Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, ISO800 (prior to 2:30am local time), ISO3200 (after 2:30am local time). Hundreds of 30 seconds exposures were taken, and the images with meteors were then combined together digitally:



It was a fabulous night, and it was great to have Raymond’s company.


Observation December 13/14 2021, 05:00-10:05 UT (00:00-05:05 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:
Southern chi Orionids (ORS) - 05:48 (87) +18
November Orionids (NOO) - 06:40 (100) +14
Monocerotids (MON) - 06:47 (102) +08
Geminids (GEM) - 07:34 (114) +32
sigma Hydrids (HYD) - 08:34 (128) +02
eta Hydrids (EHY) - 09:02 (135) +02
theta Pyxidids (TPY) - 09:52 (148) -23
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) - 10:16 (154) +34
Comae Berenicids (COM) - 11:19 (170) +21
December chi Virginids (XVI) - 2:38 (189) -09
Ursids (URS) - 12:43 (191) +77
December kappa Draconids (DKD) - 13:18 (199) +66
December Sigma Virginids (DSV) - 13:16 (199) +07
December Alpha Draconids (DAD) - 13:43 (206) +57


05:00-06:04 UT (00:00-01:04 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 5.90; facing SSE60 deg; teff 1.00 hr
GEM: sixty-five: -4; -3; -2(2); -1; 0(3); +1(12); +2(12); +3(15); +4(15); +5(3)
MON: one: +3
Total meteors: Sixty-six

06:04-07:04 UT (01:04-02:04 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.00; facing S55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
GEM: sixty: -3; -1(2); 0(8); +1(6); +2(10); +3(16); +4(8); +5(9)
MON: one: +3
HYD: one: +4
Sporadics: four: +3(2); +4; +5
Total meteors: Sixty-six

07:04-08:16 UT (02:04-03:16 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.24; facing S55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
GEM: eighty: -3; -2(3); -1(2); 0(7); +1(11); +2(11); +3(17); +4(17); +5(11)
HYD: four: +3(2); +4; +5
NOO: one: +4
COM: one: +3
DAD: one: +4
Sporadics: three: +4(3)
Total meteors: Ninety

08:16-09:24 UT (03:16-04:24 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.50; facing SW50 deg; teff 1.01 hr
GEM: one-hundred-and-ten: -4; -1(2); 0(9); +1(11); +2(20); +3(19); +4(25); +5(23)
COM: three: +4; +5(2)
DAD: three: +4(2); +5
MON: two: +4(2)
HYD: two: +3; +5
URS: two: +2; +3
DSV: two: +2; +5
EHY: one: +5
DLM: one: +2
Sporadics: four: 0; +3; +4; +5
Total meteors: One-hundred-and-thirty

09:29-10:05 UT (04:29-05:05 EST); 3/5 trans; F 1.11; LM 5.50; facing SW50 deg; teff 0.60 hr
GEM: fifty: -5; -3; -2; -1(5); 0(6); +1(5); +2(6); +3(9); +4(11); +5(5)
HYD: one: +4
EHY: one: +2
DLM: one: +1
COM: one: +4
DSV: one: 0
Sporadics: four: +2; +4(3)
Total meteors: Fifty-nine


Total meteors for this session: 411


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

I returned to Moosecreek on the following night to observe meteors for another three hours, this time much earlier in the evening, for a much higher Draconids radiant. The sky transparency was not quite as good as on the previous night. During this session, I saw 19 meteors, including four South Taurids, three October Camelopardalids, one Draconid and eleven sporadics. The best meteor was a -1 golden October Camelopardalid that moved across 30 degrees! The only Draconid that I saw a very faint +5 meteor between Cepheus and Cassiopeia.


October 8/9 2021, 00:23-03:30 UT (20:23-23:30 EDT)
Location: Moosecreek, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -75 deg 02' 57" West; Lat: 45 deg 15' 13" North)
IMO session:


Observed showers:
Draconids (DRA) - 17:32 (263) +56
Southern Taurids (STA) - 01:54 (02) +07
Orionids (ORI) - 05:29 (082) +14
epsilon Geminids (EGE) - 05:51 (088) +30
October Camelopardalids (OCT) - 11:09 (167) +79


00:23-01:24 UT (20:23-21:24 EDT); 1.5/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.08; facing N60 deg; teff 1.00 hr
OCT: two: +3; +4
Sporadics: three: +2(2); +3
Total meteors: Five

01:24-02:24 UT (21:24-22:24 EDT); 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.25; facing N60 deg; teff 1.00 hr
OCT: one: -1
STA: one: +2
Sporadics: two: +1; +5
Total meteors: Four

02:24-03:30 UT (22:24-23:30 EDT); 1.5/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.13; facing N60 deg; teff 1.10 hr
STA: three: +1; +2; +4
DRA: one: +5
Sporadics: six: +2(2); +3(2) +4; +5
Total meteors: Ten


Total meteors for this session: 19


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

Hello all!
I hope everyone is well! I am catching up on some older reports! Here’s a two hour session I did last October at the Moosecreek site in an attempt to look for Draconids. Although nothing special was predicted to happen, I always enjoy trying to spot these elusive meteors.

It was already quite late when I arrived at the site, and the Draconids radiant was quite low around midnight local time, so I didn’t expect to see much. Indeed, only one possible Draconid candite was seen — a slow +3 meteor that was seen in the north-east. The South Taurids were however quite active with seven meteors, in addition to a couple of early Orionids, one October Camelopardalid and six sporadics. Altogether, seventeen meteors.



October 7/8 2021, 03:27-05:30 UT (23:27-01:30 EDT)
Location: Moosecreek, Ontario, Canada
(Long: -75 deg 02' 57" West; Lat: 45 deg 15' 13" North)


Observed showers:
Draconids (DRA) - 17:32 (263) +56
Southern Taurids (STA) - 01:54 (02) +07
Orionids (ORI) - 05:29 (082) +14
epsilon Geminids (EGE) - 05:51 (088) +30
October Camelopardalids (OCT) - 11:09 (167) +79


03:27-04:27 UT (23:27-00:27 EDT); 2.5/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.20; facing NW60 deg; teff 1.00 hr
STA: three: +3; +4(2)
Sporadics: three: 0; +4; +5
Total meteors: Six

04:27-05:30 UT (00:27-01:30 EDT); 2.5/5 trans; F 1.05; LM 6.20; facing NW60 deg; teff 1.05 hr
STA: four: +1; +4; +5(2)
ORI: two: +1; +2
DRA: one: +3
OCT: one: +3
Sporadics: three: +2(2); +3
Total meteors: Eleven


Total meteors for this session: 17


Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario

Hello all!

This could be a very significant meteor outburst!!! ?Stay tune for more...

- Pierre

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THE TAU HERCULID METEOR SHOWER:?In late 1995, Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann exploded. Next week, some of the debris might hit Earth.

Above:?NASA images of Comet 73P still crumbling years after its initial breakup. []

Multiple forecasters agree that??on May 31, 2022, when Earth runs into one or more debris streams from Comet 73P. The display could be as intense as a meteor storm (1000 or more meteors per hour) or as weak as nothing at all. No one knows?how much?debris is inside the approaching streams, so meteor rates are hard to estimate.

Whatever happens, people in North America are in a good position to see it. Almost the entire continent will be in Moon-free darkness when the shower peaks. Maximum activity is expected around 1:00 am Eastern Daylight Time (05:00 UT) on Tuesday morning, May 31st. The shower's radiant (the point from which all meteors stream) will be almost straight above Baja California.

Above:?Altitude contours for the shower's radiant. Baja California is favored with zenith observing geometry. Image credit: Jérémie Vaubaillon []

This isn't the first time Earth has sampled debris from Comet 73P. In 1930, at least a handful of meteors were observed shortly after the comet's discovery by German astronomers. They emerged from a radiant near 4th magnitude star tau Herculis, so the shower has since been called "the tau Herculid meteor shower." NASA cameras also detected minor tau Herculid activity in 2011 and 2017.

Based on past performance, the tau Herculids seem unlikely to produce a good show. For nearly a century the shower has been a dud.?The X-factor this year is fresh material from the comet's catastrophic breakup. If the new meteoroids reach Earth--and that is a big IF--shooting stars will fly from a point near the bright star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes, which is much easier to find than dim tau Herculis:?.

To learn more?about the tau Herculid meteor shower, we recommend??by Joe Rao, a lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium in New York. Also, a new analysis by Jérémie Vaubaillon of the Institute for Celestial Mechanics and Computation of Ephemerides in Paris raises the possibility of??on May 31st resulting from debris shed by Comet 73P in the years 1892 and 1897. It all adds up to a date with the night sky at the end of the month. Don't miss it!

Nice images. Way better than mine.

The sky's transparency wasn't great and the seeing was less than average, but the eclipse was still fun to follow.? I was astounded at how dark the environs got as the event moved from full moon to no moon.? Here are my photos:

Crummy snaps attached. Actually better than I expected given they were
handheld at 90mm focal length.


attilla danko, , danko@...,
attilladanko@...

Sorry for the late response.

My condolences on your loss.? And yes, the last 3 years has been a real shit show.? Glad you're getting back to outreach.?

It's been a great line of work so far.? Great people.? Interesting jobs.? Gives me a greater appreciation for all the behind-the-scenes (and above-the-drop-ceiling) activity that keeps our world running.? Even got to work on the Best Buy transformer explosion in Barrhaven.? The force of the blast threw the transformer door clear across the parking lot, left an imprint on the building, and apparently knocked inventory off the rear warehouse shelves.? Holy crap!

Hello all,

This Saturday is Astro Day and the event will be back at Chapters (Silvercity Plaza) in the east end for the first time since 2019! ?it goes on all day from 10am to 10am outside on the parking lot area. ?There is still lots of room for scopes and setups (solar and nighttime viewing) and it's not too late if you would like to join us! ?: ) ?All setups are welcome, but please see Jim Thompson's message below. ?He only ask that you let him know if you plan to attend, so that he knows who's coming, ensure enough space, etc. ?Email him at top-jimmy at rogers dot com ?(replace the "at" and "dot"). ?Alternately, reply here and I will let him know.

We plan to have a BBQ with food and drinks (small contributions for costs welcome). ?Would anyone have a BBQ propane hookup for a standard tank?

The location is heavily light polluted but it is primarily a public outreach event. ?Solar and lunar observing will be the highlights.

The weather looks good. ?Lets hope is stays that way!

Clear skies!
Pierre

==========

Hello all!

?I hope you are all getting ready for the big day.? So far I have around 10 people signed up to attend with telescopes.? If you are planning to attend at some point through the day, but have not told me yet, please let me know.? Below are a few bullet point notes regarding the planning so far:

-? ?As mentioned previously, Rio-Can and Chapters have both given approval for the event.??
-? The Chapters store manager has also indicated that we may use power from their loading bay during store hours like we have done in previous years.? If you need to tie into 120VAC, be sure to bring some long extension cords with you.
-? Once Chapters has closed for the evening, around 7pm, we will switch to my small gas powered generator.
-? I will block off the section of parking lot right beside Chapters that we have used traditionally on the evening before the event.? Depending on the number of people with scopes that show up, we may or may not allow some cars to stay parked in the lot as opposed to parking elsewhere in the complex.
- I plan to arrive around 8-8:30am on Saturday to start setting up my telescope, and the display area being coordinated by Andrea.
- Michel Godbout has offered to bring his portable BBQ in case volunteers want to cook up some hot dogs or hamburgers to eat through the day.
- Some people will have setups with cameras, some with eyepieces.? How simple or complex a setup you want to bring is totally fine.
- In all the years I have participated in the event it has been windy.? Plan accordingly with regards to your telescope setup, clothing choices, etc.
- Plan for everything under the Sun weather wise!? Bring:? warm extra layers, toque, gloves, sun hat, sun glasses, sun screen, water and snacks/food.
- The long range forecast is for rain on the 7th and 8th.? There is still lots of time for the forecast to change, so stay tuned.
- I have one large "OAOG Free Star Party" sign.? Pierre, do you have the two smaller ones?
- Some members are concerned over the slowly increasing COVID numbers.? If the pattern follows what happened in 2020 and 2021, the springtime bump should crest in the next week or so, and then quickly decline into June.? My plan is to proceed with the event unless city or provincial public health restrictions say not to.? We are an outdoor event where social distancing can be maintained and we can be wearing a mask, so the risk level in my opinion is low.? That said, I completely understand if some members find the risk level too high - please just let me know whether you plan to attend or not so I know who to expect.
- If anybody has any questions, please let me know!

Cheers,

Jim T.