(meteorobs) Taurids 13/14 Nov in Iowa

[Paul Martsching]

I very nearly got a deer on the way out to McFarland Park.  Fortunately I was slowing down for a stop sign when the doe crossed the road.  Several days ago a dead deer was laying on the side of the road very close to this spot.

I was out for four hours: 08:00 - midnight CST.  I left at midnight because I was having trouble staying warm and alert.  No one came out to the park to bother me during the session.  

Notable meteors:

0325: mag - 4 Andromedid ending in western Cetus; very orange and slow

0313: NTA - 4 orange; ended 4 degrees above Eastern horizon
0327: NTA - 5 yellow; ended near Betelgeuse
0444: NTA(?) flared suddenly to mag - 6; ended West of Lepus
0545: NTA(?) - 4 ended 5 degrees above SSE horizon

Assignment of Taurids to NTA's or STA's is very uncertain for meteors beginning a long way from the radiant areas, especially for meteors which are also fairly low in the sky and have short paths.  For the past several nights the NASA all-sky camera network has assigned all Taurid fireballs to the North Taurids.

Taurids by hour: 02; 06; 05; 03; first hour rather uninspiring.

14 Nov 2015 0200 - 0300 UT 30 deg F; dew pt 27 deg F; wind SE 3 mph; clear; LM 5.7; facing E 50 deg; teff 1.0 hr
NTA: two: - 2; +2
Sporadics: four: +2(2); +3(2)
Total meteors: six

14 Nov 2015 0300 - 0400 UT 31 deg F; dew pt 26 deg F; wind calm; clear; LM 5.7; facing E 50 deg; teff 1.0 hr
AND: one: - 4
NTA: four: - 5; - 4; +1(2)
STA: two: +1; +2
Sporadic: one: +1
Total meteors: eight

14 Nov 2015 0400 - 0500 UT 32 deg F; dew pt 26 deg F; wind SE 3 mph; clear; LM 5.7; facing E 50 deg; teff 1.0 hr
NTA(?): three: - 6; +1(2)
STA(?): two: 0; +2
Sporadics: two: +3; +4
Total meteors: seven

14 Nov 2015 0500 - 0600 UT 31 deg F; dew pt 26 deg F; wind SE 6 mph; clear; LM 5.6; (a bit cold and tired); facing E 50 deg; teff 1.0 hr
LEO: two: +3(2)
NTA(?): three: - 4; -1; +3
Sporadics: three: +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: eight

2015 has been a good Taurid fireball year.  In some years I have been out for several hours at a time and seen lots of Taurids (more per hour than this year), but no fireballs.  

Paul Martsching in Iowa