(meteorobs) Nov., 12/13 2015 Taurid obs from north Florida - they're still going!

[Paul Jones]

Greetings again all,
       Well, after losing the last three or four nights of observing to
excessive fog, I was pleased to finally see the stars look sharp again last
night!  So, I decided to road trip out to the pitch dark, Hastings, Florida
potato field to see what the Taurids had left in their tank... and also to
patrol for early, pre-max  Leonids.
        I got there just before 0200 EST to see a sky so filled with stars,
I almost ducked!  I wasted no time getting down to business and less than
one minute after I started a lovely +2 north Taurid (NTA) shot slowly
eastward near Orion.  From there, I was able to go just over one hour
before a veritable wall of fog rolled in on me out of the northeast and
shut everything down once again.  Man, was I ever bummed.
         Still, the 1.25 hour session I was able to get in was awesome
indeed!  All told, I had 27 total meteors with 12 Taurids, 2 early Leonids
and 13 sporadics during the watch before the "fog curtain" came down on
me.

Nov., 12/13 2015, Observer: Paul Jones, Location: Hastings, Florida (18
miles southwest of St. Augustine, Florida), Facing: east

0200 - 0315 EST (0700 - 0815 UT), Teff: 1.25 hours, LM: 6.8, Sky condition:
15% fog  interference

9 NTA: 0, +1, +2, +3 (2), +4 (3), +5
3 STA: +3 (3)
2 LEO: +1, +3
13 SPO: +1 (2), +2 (2), +3 (4), +4 (3), +5
27 total meteors

The Taurids were still quite noticeable, popping out meteors all over the
sky from the radiant placed near the meridian.  Many of them were
long-pathed and slow - great visual treats indeed.  It was nice to see the
two showy early Leonids as well.
As Pierre Martin mentioned, it is always great to see the blazing stars and
constellations of the winter sky!  The winter Milky Way was especially
striking last night.  I could trace it out all across the sky and it
broadened considerably in the Canis Major/Puppis area to almost remind me
of the Eiffel Tower superimposed across the sky!
We're predicted for cooler temperatures tonight, so I am hoping that calms
down the rampaging "London-style", pea soup fog we have been having
lately.  We shall see...

Clear skies to all, Paul J in north Florida
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