(meteorobs) Obs: 18, 19, 21 Nov 2008

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

It was overcast all night 16/17 November in central Iowa.

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It finally cleared the evening of 17/18 November. 

Usual observing site 4 miles NE of Ames, Iowa

Evening: Looking for Taurids: 18 Nov 2008 01:40-3:40 UT (CST 17/18 Nov
07:40-09:40 pm) 

01:40-02:40 UT; 26 deg F; wind N 10 mph; 5% cloud cover and some thin haze
drifting thru especially during the first half hour; aver.lim.mag. 5.5; facing
East 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
North Taurids: one: +3  The only meteor seen during this hour!

02:40-03:40 UT; 25 deg F; wind N 12 mph; clear; aver.lim.mag. 5.7; facing East
50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Andromedids: none
North Taurids: two: -5; +3
South Taurids: none
Sporadics: three: +2; +3; +4
Total meteors: five

Morning: Looking for Leonids: 18 Nov 2008 09:00-11:30 UT; (CST 17/18 Nov
03:00-05:30 am)

09:00-10:00; 18 deg F; wind NW 5 mph; clear; half+ lit Moon well up in East;
aver.lim.mag. ~5.0; facing NNE 45 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Leonids: eight: -3; -1; 0; +1; +2(2); +3(2)
North Taurids: one: -1
South Taurids: none
Sporadics: three: +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: twelve

10:00-11:00; 18 deg F; calm; clear; half+ lit Moon; aver.lim.mag. ~5.0; facing
NNE 45 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Leonids: eight: 0; +1(3); +2; +3(2); +4
Taurids: none
Sporadics: four: +2(2); +3; +4
Total meteors: twelve

11:00-11:30; 17 deg F; calm; half+ lit Moon; aver.lim.mag. ~5.0; facing NNE 45
deg; total teff 0.5 hour (30 minutes)
Leonids: three: -2; +1; +2
Taurids: none
Sporadics: three: +3(3)
Total meteors: six (30 minutes)

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19 Nov 2008 08:15-10:15 UT (CST 18/19 Nov 02:15-04:15 am)
Usual observing site 4 miles NE of Ames, Iowa

08:15-09:15; 27 deg F; wind South 7 mph; "fair"; spreading jet contrails and
patches of thin haze drifting thru and lit by the Moon; aver.lim.mag. ~5.0;
facing North 45 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Leonids: five: 0; +2(2); +3; +4
North Taurids: one: 0
Sporadics: three: +1; +3(2)
Total meteors: nine

09:15-10:15; 25 deg F; wind S 7 mph; clear with half lit Moon; aver.lim.mag.
~5.2; facing North 45 deg; total teff 1.0 hour
Leonids: one: +3
North Taurids: one: +1
Sporadics: four: +2; +3(2); +4
Total meteors: six (better conditions than previous hour but fewer meteors seen)
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Mostly overcast the following night.
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21 Nov 2008 08:55-10:55 UT (CST 20/21 Nov 02:55-04:55 am)

Usual observing place 4 miles NE of Ames, Iowa

08:55-09:55; 11 deg F; wind NW 9 mph; clear; 1/3 lit Moon in East; facing WSW 50
deg; sky glow over Ames not as bad as usual; rarely face this direction, but
wanted the Moon out of my field of view and the AMO radiant somewhere in my
field of view so I wouldn't be counting fast sporadics as AMO's, and the Leonid
radiant close by so I just had to bend my head back to see it, in case any LEO's
appeared; facing WSW I had the AMO radiant in my far left field of view;
aver.lim.mag. 5.2; total teff 1.0 hour
Alpha Monocerotids: two: +1; +2
Leonids: two: +2; +3
Sporadics: five: -1; +2(2); +3(2)
Total meteors: nine

09:55-10:55; 10 deg F; wind NW 8 mph; clear; 1/3 lit Moon in East; facing West
50 deg; AMO radiant still in far left field of view; aver.lim.mag. 5.4; total
teff 1.0 hour
Alpha Monocerotids: two: 0, +2
Leonids: three: +1; +2; +4
Sporadics: six: +1; +2; +3(2); +4(2)
Total meteors: eleven

Only saw four AMO's in two hours and they were widely spaced out in time.