(meteorobs) Obs: 08/09 November 2007

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

09 November 2007 07:50-10:50 UT (CST 08/09 Nov 1:50-4:50am)

Paul Martsching
McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story County, Iowa
Long: 93 deg 34 min W  Lat: 42 deg 05 min N  Elevation: ~1,040 feet
Method: Visual; paper, pencil & talking clock

During this session I had unusual difficulty differentiating between NTA's and
STA's; some meteors occurring far from the radiants, others more or less lined
up with both radiants.  The direction I was facing may have contributed to the
problem.  At McFarland Park I am very limited as to which directions I can face
with the sky glow over Ames in the SW affecting the SW sky up to 40+ degrees
many nights.  I cannot face any direction in the half circle SE > S > SW > W >
NW because too much of the sky is affected by the lights of Ames.

07:50-08:50; 30 degrees F; wind North 7 mph; mostly clear; 5% cloud cover;
average limiting magnitude 5.5; facing NNW 45 degrees; total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.  type   comment
07:53  -2    NTA    yellow
07:58  +3    Spor
08:13  +3    Spor
08:14  +2    Spor
08:21   0    NTA
08:32  +1    NTA
08:40  +4    Spor
08:43   0    STA    yellow
North Taurids: three: -2; 0; +1
South Taurids: one: 0
Sporadics: four: +2; +3(2); +4
Total meteors: eight

08:50-09:50; 29 deg F; wind N 5 mph; clear; aver.lim.mag. 5.7; facing NNW 45
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
08:50  +2     Spor
09:10  +1     NTA
09:11  +4     Spor
09:15   0     Spor   yellow
09:29  +4     Spor
09:31  +1     Spor   yellow; 0.5 second train
09:33  +2     STA
09:34  +3     Spor   brief train
09:48  +2     Spor
North Taurids: one: +1
South Taurids: one: +2
Sporadics: seven: 0; +1; +2(2); +3; +4(2)
Total meteors: nine

09:50-10:50; 28 deg F; wind N 3 mph; clear; aver.lim.mag. 5.7; facing NNW 45
degrees; total teff 1.0 hour
Time   mag.   type   comment
09:54  +2     Spor
09:55   0     NTA    yellow
09:55  +4     Spor
09:58  +3     Spor
10:02  +3     NTA
10:07  +2     Spor
10:09  +3     STA
10:18  +3     Spor
10:29  +3     Spor
10:30  +3     Spor
10:34  +4     Spor
10:39  +5     Spor
10:46  -1     Spor   2 second train
10:49  -4     STA    yellow; good-sized yellow ball with a very narrow, fairly
                     faint 4 - 5 degree long "trail/streak"
North Taurids: two: 0; +3
South Taurids: two: -4; +3
Sporadics: ten: -1; +2(2); +3(4); +4(2); +5
Total meteors: fourteen