From: Alan Whitman <whitmans [at] vip.net>
Date: September 1, 2007 8:00 AM


The Aurigids put on a reasonably entertaining meteor shower, comparable to this year's rather average Perseids. I observed from 1100 to 1210 Universal Time (0400 to 0510 PDT) and saw 21 Aurigids and one sporadic. (All of the meteors occurred within the first hour.)

Transparency was excellent behind a cold front, but the limiting magnitude was only 4.7 due to glaring moonlight. The magnitude -12 gibbous Moon, four days past Full, was high in the south-southwest, and I had to cover it with my fingertips for the entire observing period. The sky was cloudfree. The stars were not noticeably twinkling. So observing conditions were ideal, except for the glaring moonlight. Temperature was 9 deg C.

There were no breaks in the 70 minute observing record since recording duties and time checks were handled by my wife and the tape recorder.

Aurigid meteor magnitudes were as follows:

1100-1110 UTC  LM 4.7
mag -1
mag 3
mag 3

1110-1120 UTC  LM 4.7
mag 2

1120-1125 UTC  LM 4.7
mag 3 sporadic
mag 0
mag 2
mag 3

1125-1130 UTC  LM 4.7
mag 2

1130-1135 UTC  LM 4.7
Very bright, with train, but at edge of field of view, so magnitude was not determined
mag 3
mag -2 with train
mag 1
mag 1 (point meteor)

1135-1140 UTC  LM 4.7
mag 1
mag 2
mag -2

1140-1145 UTC  LM 4.7
mag 4

1145-1150 UTC  LM 4.7, but twilight quite noticeable in the east
mag 4
mag 1

1150-1153 UTC (tape ran out)  LM 4.7
Nil

1153-1200 UTC LM 4.7 with difficulty due to twilight
mag 2
mag -1

1200-1210  UTC  LM 4.2 at 1210
Nil

If anybody knows how to submit this to the proper people, please do so.

Alan Whitman
near Penticton, British Columbia, Canada