(meteorobs) NAMN Notes: January 2005

[C.L. Hall]

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NAMN Notes:  January 2005
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Introduction:
NAMN Notes is a monthly newsletter produced by the North American Meteor
Network, and is available both via email, and on the NAMN website at:
http://www.namnmeteors.org


Contents:

1.  Welcome to 2005!...
2.  Quadrantids, January's Highlight...
3.  Other January Activity...
4.  Index to 2004 Articles...
5.  Upcoming Meetings...
6.  For more info...


1.  Welcome to 2005!...

NAMN, the North American Meteor Network, wishes you all a Happy New Year!
We hope that 2005 will bring you many clear, dark nights and many meteors!

Throughout 2005, we will try to keep you informed about the meteor showers
that are visible in your skies, and any new and interesting events that may
transpire.  We will also try to provide links to further reading, so that
you can learn more about the particular topics that interest you.

For an excellent overview of the meteor activity for 2005, the best source
of information is the IMO 2005 Meteor Shower Calendar, put out by the
International Meteor Organization.  It is available online at
http://www.imo.net/calendar/cal05.html.

For a great bimonthly printed publication on meteors, with excellent
articles on meteor studies, history, and observing projects being carried
out around the globe, consider membership in the IMO.  Details can be found
on their website at http://www.imo.net

Have questions on meteors and observing?  Drop a note to our NAMN
Coordinator, Mark Davis, at meteors at comcast.net.  If you are not already on
our 'MeteorObs' discussion list, consider joining to learn about the various
topics being discussed.

Clear skies - and all the best for 2005!


2.  Quadrantids, January's Highlight...

The Quadrantids (QUA) are the highlight of our new year's season!  This
year, they peak on January 3rd, at about 12h 20m UT, Universal Time.  For
North American observers, this means 7.20 a.m. EST on Monday January 3rd.

ZHR rates at maximum will be about 120 meteors per hour.  ZHR refers to
Zenithal Hourly Rate, and is the average number of meteors that an observer
could expect to see if they are observing under a dark country sky, and if
the radiant, the area in the sky where the meteors seem to come from, is
directly overhead.  This shower is noted for a fairly sharp maximum, with
the highest number of meteors visible for only a handful of hours around the
peak.

The shower lasts from about January 1st until the 5th.  The radiant at
maximum will be at 230 degrees, ie. RA 15h 19.8m, Dec. +49, which is in
northern Bootes.  A map showing the radiant for the Quadrantids can be found
at http://www.imo.net/calendar/cal03.html#Quadrantids  These are average
velocity meteors, at about 41 km per second.

If you want to record data on the Quadrantids for the meteor researchers,
check out our NAMN Observing Guide for information on what to record.  Our
Guide can be found at http://www.namnmeteors.org/guide.html.  We record such
info as the time a meteor occurred, its magnitude (brightness), the shower
it belongs to, its speed, and other comments such as train left behind, or
color.  General information to record includes such things as how dark your
perceived sky is (limiting magnitude), and comments on weather and cloud
cover.  For estimating the brightness of the meteors you see, we have a
handy set of 4 star charts (set printer to 'landscape mode') at
http://www.namnmeteors.org/charts.html.  If you have any questions, drop a
note to our NAMN Coordinator at meteors at comcast.net

Forms to record your observations can be found at
http://www.namnmeteors.org/namn_form.html and
http://www.namnmeteors.org/appendixC.html.


3.  Other January Activity...

The Coma Berenicids (COM), although having reached a peak back on December
19th, can still be seen until about January 23rd.  These are fast meteors,
at about 65 km per second.  At their peak, ZHR rates were about 5 meteors
per hour.  Rates in January will be less.  This shower is possibly
associated with Comet Lowe, 1913 I, discovered by an amateur astronomer in
south Australia.  A map showing the radiant can be found at
http://www.imo.net/calendar/cal04.html#Coma-Berenicids

The delta Cancrids (DCA) peak on January 17th, and can be seen from about
the 1st to the 24th.  These are slow meteors, at about 28 km per second.  At
the peak, ZHR rates will be about 4 meteors per hour.  The radiant on the
17th will be at 130 degrees, ie. RA 8h 40.2m, Dec. +20, which is about the
same location as the star cluster known as M44, the Beehive Cluster.  This
shower is considered to be 'probably an early part of the Virginid
activity', according to the IMO, the International Meteor Organization.  The
IMO mentions that 'recent observations have suggested the peak may occur
close to... January 11', so observers should be alert around both dates.  A
map of the radiant can be found at
http://www.imo.net/calendar/cal05.html#delta-Cancrids.

The alpha Centaurids (ACE) start to become active about January 28th, but
will not reach a maximum until February 7th.  These are fast meteors, at
about 56 km per second.  ZHR rates are variable.  At the peak, the rates are
usually about 6 meteors per hour, but outbursts of 20 to 30 an hour have
occurred.  Rates in late January will be lower, but should be monitored.
Many of these meteors are very bright, even fireballs.  Note that this is a
southern shower, with a radiant declination of about -59 degrees.  A map of
the radiant can be found at
http://www.imo.net/calendar/cal05.html#alpha-Centaurids

Lastly, the Virginids (VIR) start to become active about January 25th, and
will last until about April 15th.  These are almost slow meteors, at about
30 km per second.  ZHR rates are about 5 meteors per hour.  On January 30th,
the radiant will be at 157 degrees, ie. RA 10h 28.2m, Dec +16, which is
about 6 degrees up to the left of Regulus in Leo on a star atlas.

Besides January's main activity, and other minor showers, there is also
sporadic meteor activity - about 7 meteors per hour, visible to the unaided
eye.  Some of these are random, and some belong to old untraceable meteor
showers.

Planets at midmonth, and their magnitudes, for northern observers, are:
Venus      -3.8   low in southeast in morning twilight
Jupiter     -2.0   in Virgo
Saturn     -0.4   in Gemini
Mercury  -0.3   low in southeast in morning twilight
Mars        1.5   in Ophiuchus, low in southeast in morning sky
For a sky chart showing the positions of all the planets visible this month,
go to http://www.heavens-above.com, select your country, then your city, and
go to 'Whole Sky Chart'.

This month, the phases of the moon are as follows:
Mon. Jan.  3     last quarter
Mon. Jan. 10    new moon
Mon. Jan. 17    first quarter
Tues. Jan. 25    full moon
For a great printout of moon phases for the month, check out
http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon

Lastly, don't forget to take a look at Comet Machholz, discovered by comet
hunter Don Machholz of the southwestern United States on August 27th.
Coordinates and brightness estimates for January are as follows, courtesy of
the Sky and Telescope website at http://skyandtelescope.com:

Jan.  3   RA 3h 47m  Dec +13 02  Taurus  mag. 4.2
Jan.  6   RA 3h 40m  Dec +19 27  Taurus  mag. 4.1
Jan.  9   RA 3h 33m  Dec +25 51  Taurus  mag. 4.1
Jan. 12  RA 3h 26m  Dec +32 05  Perseus mag. 4.1
Jan. 15  RA 3h 20m  Dec +37 58  Perseus mag. 4.2
Jan. 20  RA 3h 10m  Dec +46 47  Perseus mag 4.3
Jan. 25  RA 3h 02m  Dec +54 15  Perseus mag. 4.5
Jan. 30  RA 2h 56m  Dec +60 28  Cassiopeia  mag. 4.7

Finder charts for this and other comets visible to amateur observers can be
printed off from Greg Crinklaw's 'Skyhound' website at
http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html


4.  Index to 2004 Articles...

The following is the index to articles in our NAMN Notes for 2004, provided
by our NAMN Coordinator, Mark Davis.  The issues can be found in the
MeteorObs archives at http://www.meteorobs.org by selecting 'Browse Archive
by Month'.

January 2004
Happy New Year!...
The Quadrantids - Views and News...
Other January Meteor Activity...
Index to 2003 NAMN Notes...

February 2004
February Meteor Activity...
Brochure and Info Sheets on Meteors...

March 2004
The Meteors of March...
Time for a Planet Watch!...
Fireball Update...

April 2004
Spring Lyrids Bring Surprises?...
Other April Showers...
International Astronomy Day...

May 2004
Eta Aquarids - from Halley's Comet...
Other May Showers...
Spring Comets...

June 2004
June Bootids - A Surprise?...
June Lyrids - Or Not?...
Other June Meteor Activity...

July 2004
Welcome to Summer Meteor Observing!...
Aquarids and More Aquarids...
Other Summer Meteor Activity...

August 2004
Perseids - A Year for Surprises?...
Aquarids and More Aquarids Again...
Other August Meteor Activity...

September 2004
September Meteors from Auriga...
Aries-Triangulid & September Taurid Meteors... by G.W. Gliba
Other September Showers...

October 2004
Draconids - Debris from Comet Giacobini-Zinner...
Orionids...
Other October Showers...

November 2004
Leonids - the Aftermath...
Alpha Monocerotids to Monitor...
Taurids - Fireballs this Year?...
Other Showers and Items of Interest...
Winter Comets...

December 2004
Geminids - The Best for Last!...
Ursids, the Christmas Shower...
Other December Activity...
Comets, Aurora and More...


5.  Upcoming Meetings...

August 7-12, 2005, Brazil...
ACM 2005, the IAU Symposium 229:  Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, will be held
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The main topics of the conference will be space
missions, internal structure of asteroids and comets, connections between
asteroids, cometary nuclei and Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNO's), connections
between asteroids and meteorites, connections between comets, meteor showers
and interplanetary dust, minor body dynamics, collisions and impacts,
Near-Earth Objects (NEO's), origin and evolution of our Solar System and
extra-solar planetary systems.  The website for the conference is at
http://www.on.br/acm2005.  For more information, contact Daniela Lazzaro or
Fernando Roig at acm2005 at on.br

September 15-18, 2005, Belgium...
The 2005 IMC, International Meteor Conference of the IMO, the International
Meteor Organization, will be held in Oostmalle, Belgium.  Oostmalle is about
70 km north of Brussels, and about 30 km northeast of Antwerp.  The
conference is being organized by Urania, the public observatory of Antwerp.
Accommodation will be at the Provinciaal Vormingscentrum Malle, with an
excursion to the city of Lier.  This is a great opportunity to meet and
chat with meteor observers from all around the globe - so mark it on your
calendar now, and plan to attend!  The participation fee is 120 EUR, and
includes all accommodation, all meals, and the conference registration.  For
information, check out the conference website at http://www.imo.net/imc2005.
For questions, contact Jan Verbert at imc2005 at imo.net

For information on upcoming astronomy meetings, see: "International
Astronomy Meetings List" at http://cadcwww.hia.nrc.ca/meetings


6.  For more info...

NAMN email:  namn at namnmeteors.org
NAMN website: http://www.namnmeteors.org

Mark Davis, meteors at comcast.net
Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA
Coordinator, North American Meteor Network

Cathy Hall, chall at cyberus.ca
Metcalfe, Ontario, Canada
Writer, NAMN Notes

Lew Gramer, dedalus at alum.mit.edu
Medford, Massachusetts, USA
Coordinator, Public Outreach
Owner/Moderator, 'MeteorObs'

Kevin Kilkenny, namnfireball at earthlink.net
Staten Island, New York, USA
Coordinator, Fireballs and Meteorites

Back issues of NAMN Notes can be found online at the NAMN website and in
the MeteorObs archives at:
http://www.meteorobs.org by selecting 'Browse Archive by Month'

To subscribe to the meteor email list:
Contact Lew Gramer at: dedalus at alum.mit.edu

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Here's to 'Clear Skies' for January...

January 2005 NAMN Notes
written by Cathy Hall & edited by Mark Davis
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