Here’s an observing outing this past Thursday morning (October 21/22) at the Moosecreek site.  The sky cleared gradually after midnight, giving me a chance to see the Orionids about one day after their predicted peak.  Sky transparency below-average (2/5) and at the end, it clouded over again.  The weather is often unstable at this time of the year, which makes the forecasts unreliable.

In two hours between 1:00-03:09 (EDT), I saw 40 meteors (15 Orionids, 9 Southern Taurids, 4 Northern Taurids, 2 Leonis Minorids and 10 sporadics).  The Orionids activity seemed a little lower than expected for this night, although the radiant was less than 30 degrees high at the beginning of the session.  The rates did improve during the second hour with 9 seen.

Here’s an image composite image.  It includes bright green Orionid meteors, a few dimmer Taurids and sporadics.  Thin haze in the atmosphere caused the halos around the bright stars of Orion and Taurus, highlighting their colours.  Taken with Canon 6D, Sigma 35mm f/1.4, ISO 3200, tracking with Skywatcher Adventurer mount.

 

Observer: Pierre Martin
IMO Profile: https://www.imo.net/members/imo_user/profile/?user_id=8022
Session Link: https://www.imo.net/members/imo_vmdb/view?session_id=81649
Observation October 21/22 2020, 05:00-07:09 UT (01:00-03:09 EDT)
Location: Moose Creek, Ontario, Canada
(45°15’13″N 75°02’57”W)

Observed showers:
Southern Taurids (STA) – 02:34 (038) +11
omicron Eridanids (OER) – 02:34 (038) -05
Northern Taurids (NTA) – 02:50 (043) +20
chi Taurids (CTA) – 03:02 (046) +23
Orionids (ORI) – 06:17 (094) +16
nu Eridanids (NUE) – 06:40 (100) +11
epsilon Geminids (EGE) – 06:47 (102) +28
Leonis Minorids (LMI) – 10:22 (156) +38

05:00-06:00 UT (01:00-02:00 EDT); clear; 2/5 trans; F 1.06; LM 6.10; facing SEE55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
ORI: six: 0; +1; +3; +4; +5(2)
STA: three: +3; +4(2)
NTA: three: +3(2); +4
LMI: two: +2; +3
Sporadics: two: +4; +5
Total meteors: Sixteen

06:00-07:09 UT (02:00-03:09 EDT); clear; 2/5 trans; F 1.00; LM 6.10; facing SSEE55 deg; teff 1.00 hr
ORI: nine: +1; +3(2); +4(4); +5(2)
STA: six: +2; +3(2); +4(3)
NTA: one: +4
Sporadics: eight: +2(2); +3(2); +4(3); +5
Total meteors: Twenty-four