(meteorobs) Obs: 22/23 Oct 2007

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

23 October 2007 8:30-11:00 UT (CDST 22/23 Oct 3:30-6:00am)

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

EGE = Epsilon Geminid
ORI = Orionid
NTA = North Taurid
STA = South Taurid
Spor = Sporadic

I was completely clouded out the night of 21/22 October.  

I went out a little earlier than I'd planned the morning of 22/23 October.

08:30-09:00; 32 degrees F; wind calm; clear; average limiting magnitude 5.0;
waxing gibbous Moon in the West; facing ESE 45 degrees; total teff 0.5 hour
EGE: none
ORI: six: 0; +1, +2(3); +3
NTA: none
STA: one: +2
Sporadics: two: +2, +3
Total meteors: nine (0.5 hour)

09:00-10:00; 32 degrees F; wind calm; clear; average limiting magnitude 5.8;
Moon set at 09:18; facing ESE 45 degrees; total teff 1.0 hour
EGE: none
ORI: twenty-three:  -5; -1(2); 0(5); +1(5); +2(3); +3(3); +4(4)
NTA: none
STA: one: +2
Sporadics: eight:  0; +1(2); +2(3); +3; +4
Total meteors: thirty-two

10:00-11:00; 31 degrees F; wind calm; clear; average limiting magnitude 5.9;
facing SE 45 degrees; Venus very annoying in East so turned a bit to the South;
cannot turn farther because of sky glow over Ames in SW; some twilight in East
by 10:00; total teff 1.0 hour
EGE: one:  0
ORI: twenty:  -6; -2; -1; 0(3); +1(7); +2(3); +3(4)
NTA: none
STA: none
Sporadics: eleven: +1; +2; +3(6); +4(2); +5
Total meteors: thirty-two

Fireballs:

09:50 mag. -5; no color; train lasted 7 seconds but was in sky glow over east
Ames; bottom of Orion thru Lepus, etc.

10:39 mag. -6; no color; ended 2 degrees above Southern horizon; glowing orange
train lasted 3 seconds before fading into the horizon haze (also sky glow from
east Ames).  On the way home I noticed that there was a thick layer of fog in
the South extending up several degrees above the horizon - which is why the
train disappeared so quickly. 

I was glad I went out - especially seeing two nice Orionid fireballs.