(meteorobs) Meteor Activity Outlook for March 24-30, 2006

[Robert Lunsford]

With the arrival of March, we reach the nadir of meteor activity for the
year. No matter your location, March has the lowest mean meteor rates of any
month of the year. The only reasonable activity is produced by the
Eclipticid radiant, now located in Virgo. Even this activity is only 2-3
shower members at best. At least this is one of the prime times for
fireballs. From February through April, fireballs are frequently reported
during the evening hours.

The moon reaches its new phase on Wednesday March 29. At that time the moon
will be in conjunction with the sun and will not be visible at night. This
weekend the waning crescent moon will not cause any problems as it is quite
thin and does not rise until late in the morning. The estimated total hourly
rates for evening observers this week is near two, no matter your location.
For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near six
for those located in the Northern Hemisphere and eight for those in the
Southern Hemisphere. These rates assume that you are watching from rural
areas away from all sources of light pollution. The actual rates will also
depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local
weather conditions, alertness and experience in watching meteor activity.

The radiant positions listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday
morning March 4/5. These positions do not change greatly day to day so the
listed coordinates may be used during this entire period. Most star atlases
(available at science stores and planetariums) will provide maps with grid
lines of the celestial coordinates so that you may find out exactly where
these positions are located in the sky. A planisphere or computer
planetarium program is also useful in showing the sky at any time of night
on any date of the year. Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is
positioned highest in the sky, either due north or south along the meridian,
depending on your latitude. Meteor activity is not seen from radiants that
are located below the horizon. The positions below are listed in a west to
east manner in order of right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions
listed first are located further west therefore are accessible earlier in
the night while those listed further down the list rise later in the night.

The following radiants are active this week:

The Eclipticid (ECL) radiant is now centered at 13:00 (195) -04. This area
of the sky is located in central Virgo, three degrees northwest of the
fourth magnitude star Theta Virginis. This radiant is best placed near 0100
local standard time when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the sky.
Rates should be near two per hour no matter your location. With an entry
velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Eclipticid meteor would be of
medium-slow speed. This radiant is a good source of fireballs now through
the end of April. Those who send reports to the I.M.O. should label these
meteors as Virginids (VIR).

The Delta Pavonids (DPA) are an obscure shower listed among the radiants of
the Dutch Meteor Society. They list the ZHR's as five but recent
observations fail to show much activity at all. The predicted date of
maximum activity is March 28. The radiant currently lies at 20:12 (303) -62.
This area of the sky is located in central Pavo, five degrees southwest of
the second magnitude star Peacock (Alpha Pavonis). This area of the sky is
too far south to be seen north of the northern equatorial areas. Only
observers living in far southern locations such as Australia, South Africa,
and southern South America have any chance of seeing activity from this
radiant. The best time to view possible activity is just before the start of
morning twilight, when the radiant lies highest in a dark sky. With an entry
velocity of 60 kilometers per second, a majority of these meteors will
appear to move swiftly.

The Sporadic rates for the Northern Hemisphere are now well past their
annual peak. One would expect to see perhaps six random meteors per hour
during the last hours before dawn from rural observing sites. During the
evening hours perhaps two random meteors can be seen per hour. Sporadic
rates seen from the Southern Hemisphere are now increasing toward a
secondary maximum in July. One would see approximately eight random meteors
per hour during the late morning hours and two per hour during the evening.

Eclipticid (ECL)    10:00 (195) -04   Class II
Hourly Rate = N. Hemisphere 2 - S. Hemisphere 2

Delta Pavonids (DPA)   20:12 (303) -62   Class IV
Hourly Rate = N. Hemisphere 0 - S. Hemisphere >1

For a detailed explanation on the different classes of meteor showers and
other astronomical terms, please visit:
http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html#X2006

Clear Skies!
Robert Lunsford
American Meteor Society