(meteorobs) Geminids in Decline?

[Roberto G.]

> ---- "suejam1 at juno.com" <suejam1 at juno.com> wrote:
> Hello again Mark and Comrade Meteor Observers!  Departed Ft. Myers,
> Florida area yesterday for Palm Bay, Florida where I am staying with my
> Sister.  Norm and I had a great night on 12/13 December with six hours of
> observations and no interference from clouds.  Confirmed that the Geminid
> rates are in decline from what we use to observe in the 1970's and
> 1980's.  We averaged rates between 40-60 Geminids/hour back then.  This
> past Wednesday night, we averaged between 20-25/hour in dark sky
> conditions (limiting mag of 6.7).
>
> Then we did not get a fully clear night the max. night, but we did have
> Lew join us for what we were able to see.   All of us agreed that maybe
> we were seeing about 60/hour, which is a far cry below the near 100/hour
> rates of the late 1970's and 1980's, that carried into the 1990's.  Then
> again, we are all  now beginning to age somewhat, so I perceive that I am
> not seeing as many meteors as I use to in my teenage & young adult years.
> Once I return to Central Virginia, I will try to set out the hourly rate
> totals from 12/13 December.  Hope that each of You is well!!
>                In Astronomical Affinity - Felix A. Martinez

I not agree with you! The Handbook Visual Meteor Obersations (1987)
contain many data on this (the decline of Geminids): following Hughes and 
al.
Geminids do a meteor shower on Venus around 500 years ago and on the
Earth around 200 years ago and it move out in other 200 years. From this 
time
(1987) the Geminids continued to have in medium more meteors each year
and now (present time) and from some years the Geminids are the biggest
meteor shower, more of Perseids! Naturally with the exeption of outbursts as
Leonids, Alfa Monocerontids, Alfa Aurigids, etc.
Geminids born for meteor observers in the first side of XIX century,
certainly it shall be lost as we lost many meteor showers of the
past, who remember the very big meteor showers that occured in the
past in January, February and March? I can send many data on they
if you want. For to said that the Geminids are declining we need of
data from many years and we need observations from all sides of the
World: this it's the job of the meteor observers, follow the meteor
showers known and discovery the news incoming meteor showers,
as the Tau Herculids at the end of May or the Zeta Cepheids the first
days of the year, perharps in 2008, near sure from 2012.
Best greetings.
Roberto Gorelli