(meteorobs) Taurids in Iowa 03/04 Nov

Paul Martsching pmartsching at mchsi.com
Thu Nov 5 10:10:59 EST 2015


I went out for four hours at McFarland Park.  Impressive Taurid activity during the first hour, then more usual activity during the next three hours.  The dimmest of six Taurids seen during the first hour was mag 0.  

When I first arrived at my observing site, I could see faint stars in the LM count areas fairly well, but the sky appeared to be dark gray - not black.  It took about 20 minutes for the sky to appear "dark", so I wasn't completely dark-adapted when I started the first hour.

I saw no Andromedids this night or the previous two nights.
No CTA's seen this night.

Assigning Taurids to NTA's or STA's is often uncertain, especially for meteors beginning a long ways from the radiant areas.

Best Taurid: 0209 UT mag - 8 STA; in far SE; ended about 5 degrees above the horizon.  Color was pale greenish-blue when meteor was at its brightest.  

Interesting Taurid: at 0235 UT a mag  - 1 red NTA traveled quite a ways in the NE, then suddenly flared to mag - 4 blue ball; then continued on several more degrees as - 1 red; then faded out.   

Orionid: 0259 UT only mag +2 with brief train, but extremely long, and very fast; ended near Vega; radiant barely above horizon.

McFarland Park 4 miles NE of Ames, Story Co, Iowa; Long: 93 deg 34 min W; Lat: 42 deg 05 min N

04 Nov 2015 0200 - 0300 UT 61 deg F; dew pt 53 deg F; wind South 13 mph; clear; LM 5.7 (see previous note about dark-adaptation); facing East 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
ORI: one: +2
NTA: three: - 4; - 2; - 1
STA: three: - 8; - 3; 0
Sporadics: two: +1; +3
Total meteors: nine

04 Nov 2015 0300 - 0400 UT 59 deg F; dew pt 53 deg F; wind S 13 mph; clear; LM 5.8; facing East 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
NTA: three: 0(2); +1
Sporadics: two: +1; +3
Total meteors: five

04 Nov 2015 0400 - 0500 UT 55 deg F; dew pt 52 deg F; wind SE 10 mph; clear; LM 5.8; facing E 50 deg; teff 1.0 hour.
NTA: two: - 4; +1 (- 4 yellow; passed overhead; ended near Deneb in Cygnus)
STA: one: +1
Sporadics: four: +2(2); +3(2)
Total meteors: seven

04 Nov 2015 0500 - 0600 UT 52 deg F; dew pt 50 deg F; wind SE 7 mph; clear; LM 5.7; facing E 50 deg; teff 1.0 hr
NTA: two: +1(2)
STA: two: +2; +3
Sporadics: three: +1; +2; +4
Total meteors: seven

Paul Martsching in Iowa





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