(meteorobs) Obs: 03 & 04 Nov 2008

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

03 Nov 2008 02:00 - 11:05 UT (CST 02/03 Nov 08:00 pm - 05:05 am)
Two breaks: 08:00-08:15 & 09:15-09:20 UT

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: 318 meters
Method: Visual; paper, pencil & talking clock

Hourly summaries:

Distinguishing between North and South Taurids, even when using an alignment
cord, sometimes uncertain depending on direction and distance from the radiants. 

02:00-03:00; 54 deg F; wind S 6 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.8; facing East 50
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: one: +1
North Taurids: none
South Taurids: four: -2; -1; 0; +1
Sporadics: one: 0
Total meteors: six

03:00-04:00; 52 deg F; wind SE 3 mph; clear: ave.lim.mag. 5.8; facing E 50 deg;
total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
North Taurids: two: +1; +3
South Taurids: four: -8; -3(2); +1
Sporadics: three: +1; +2; +3
Total meteors: nine
At 03:40 UT mag. -8 yellow STA ended ~ 10 deg below and 5 deg West of Bowl of
Little Dipper.

04:00-05:00; 52 deg F; calm; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.8; facing E 50 deg; total
teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
North Taurids: one: +1
South Taurids: four: -5; +1; +3(2)
Sporadics: four: +2; +3(3)
Total meteors: nine
At 04:26 a fairly bright meteor occurred somewhere in the western sky behind me.

05:00-06:00; 50 deg F; calm; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.6; facing E 50 deg; total
teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
Orionids: none
North Taurids: one: +3
South Taurids: one: -1
Sporadics: four: +1; +2; +4(2)
Total meteors: six
At 05:28 a brilliant flash lit the landscape from a meteor in the NW - out of my
field of view.  This may have been the brightest meteor of the night and I
didn't see it!

06:00-07:00; 49 deg F; wind SE 5 mph; "clear"; ave.lim.mag. 5.5; facing E 50
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: one: +2
Orionids: one: +1
North Taurids: two: -2; 0
South Taurids: three: -3; 0; +1
Sporadics: one: +3
Total meteors: eight

07:00-08:00; 53 deg F; wind SE 6 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.6; facing E 50 deg;
total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
Orionids: one: +3
North Taurids: two: +1; +3
South Taurids: three: -1(2); +1
Sporadics: four: +3(2); +4(2)
Total meteors: ten

Break and direction change 08:00-08:15 UT (02:00-02:15 am CST)

08:15-09:15; 53 deg F; wind SE 8 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.7; facing NNW 50
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
Orionids: one: +3
North Taurids: three: +2; +3(2)
South Taurids: one: -2
Sporadics: four: -2; +3(3)
Total meteors: nine

Break 09:15-09:20 UT

09:20-10:20; 51 deg F; wind SE 5 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.7; facing NNW 50
deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
Orionids: one: +2
North Taurids: one: -1
South Taurids: six: -4; -3(2); -1(2); +2
Sporadics: twelve: +1(2); +2(4); +3(4); +4(2)
Total meteors: twenty

10:20-11:05; 51 deg F; wind SE 6 mph; clear, but with fog forming eventually
extending up to 10 degrees above the horizon; ave.lim.mag. 5.5; facing NNW 50
deg; total teff 0.75 hour (45 minutes)
Andromedids: none
Orionids: one: +4
North Taurids: none
South Taurids: four: -1; 0(3)
Sporadics: three: +2(2); +3
Total meteors: eight

I hadn't planned on staying out all night.  By 05:05 am CST, I was tired and
cold and had to go to work by 8 am CST, so with the fog getting worse I quit.

------------------------------------------

04 Nov 03:00-07:00 UT (CST 03/04 Nov 09:00 pm - 01:00 am)

My usual observing location

03:00-04:00; 63 deg F; wind S 12 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.5; crescent Moon
behind low cloud in the SW; facing East 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
During the first half hour either there was some very thin haze, or my eyes were
taking longer than usual to dark adapt.
Andromedids: none
North Taurids: one: -2
South Taurids: two: -4; 0
Sporadics: two: +1; +3
Total meteors: five 

04:00-05:00; 61 deg F; wind S 10 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.7; facing E 50 deg;
total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
North Taurids: none
South Taurids: one: +2
Sporadics: three: +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: four; fairly decent sky, but few meteors.

05:00-06:00; 60 deg F; wind S 10 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.7; facing E 50 deg;
total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
Orionids: none
North Taurids: two: +1; +3
South Taurids: four: -6; 0; +1(2)
Sporadics: three: +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: nine

06:00-07:00; 58 deg F; wind S 8 mph; clear; ave.lim.mag. 5.5; facing E 50 deg;
total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
Orionids: none
North Taurids: none
South Taurids: three: -2; +3; +4
Sporadics: three: +3(3)
Total meteors: six