(meteorobs) Obs: 04/05 Nov 2011

[pmartsching at mchsi.com]

I went out for three hours.  I wondered whether I should go or not because satellite imagery showed considerable areas of thin cloud scattered across Iowa.  Ames was in a relatively clear area, so I went out.  I decided to face NNW to be able to distinguish NTA and STA meteors more easily, so I had to wait till Moon set to begin observing.  The sky was hazier than I like, but eventually improved.
I saw four Taurids during the first hour, but none during the next two hours, which was disappointing because they were why I went out to observe.  The best Taurid mag -5 yellow changing to pale greenish-blue at 08:39 UT; ended 2 degrees above the WNW horizon.

05 Nov 2011 07:50-10:50 UT (04/05 Nov CDST)
McFarland Park NE of Ames, Iowa, USA

07:50-08:50 UT 38 deg F; dew pt 33 deg F; wind SE 9 mph; "fair"/hazy, especially first 20 minutes; average LM 5.4; facing NNW 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour.
NTA: three: -5; 0; +2
STA: one: +1
Sporadics: five: -1; 0; +1; +2; +3
Total meteors: nine

08:50-09:50 UT 36 deg F; dew pt 33 deg F; wind SE 7 mph; average LM 5.6; much less haze than previous hour; facing NNW 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hour.
Sporadics and total meteors: five: +1(3); +3(2)

09:50-10:50 UT 36 deg F; dew pt 33 deg F; wind SE 9 mph; clear; LM 5.7; facing NNW 50 deg; total teff 1.0 hr.
ORI: one: +3
Sporadics: eight: -3; -1; +2; +3(4); +4
Total meteors: nine

The mag. -3 Sporadic at 10:25 UT yellow; fast; traveled 20 deg; no train; from direction of Auriga - across Perseus - ending ~7 degrees above the NW horizon.

This is probably it for the Taurids this year, except for what I might see during the Moonlit Leonids.  If the weather cooperates, I am thinking of going out and trying for some Andromedids, but the bright Moonlight may ruin any possiblities, tho with the Andomedids being so slow, maybe there would be more chance of seeing them?  Well, they are very sparse anyway -----