(meteorobs) Orionids Tuesday morning in Iowa

[Paul Martsching]

The weather is not cooperating this year for the Orionids.  This morning (Thursday) mostly cloudy.  Clear Sky Chart shows complete overcast for tonight/Friday morning.  

On Wednesday morning between 07:00 and 09:45 UT I saw only 15 Orionids with average LM ~ 5.2 with dense haze and clouds  to 15+ degrees up along the entire horizon.  (Sirius often completely obscured.)  Sometimes the LM at the zenith was pretty good.  At other times the zenith sky looked clear, but the LM obviously wasn't so good - extremely thin general haze drifting thru lit by the lights of Ames to the SW.  Eight Orionids were seen in the hour 07:15 - 08:15 UT when the average LM might have been as good as 5.3.   I finally  gave up and went home as sky conditions worsened.  

One nice orange - 4 Orionid fireball with 3 second train ending below Polaris.
Fifteen ORI's in 2.75 hours: - 4; -2; 0; +1(3); +2(4); +3(3); +4(2)
I saw two more ORI's while waiting for the sky to improve: -1, +2 (06:30 - 07:00 UT)

Hoping for much better weather for the Geminids!

Paul Martsching in Iowa