(meteorobs) NAMN Notes: March 2007

Tue Mar 20 20:34:37 EDT 2007

A delayed resend - I didn't realize it had bounced..... -Mark

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NAMN Notes:  March 2007
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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.  Meteor Activity for March...
2.  Other March Sky Activity...
3.  International Meteor Conference...
4.  Upcoming Meetings...
5.  For more info...

1.  Meteor Activity for March...

March is a fairly quiet month for meteor activity.  However, it's a good
time of year to look ahead and plan your meteor activities and projects for
the coming months.

The gamma Normids (GNO) reach a peak about March 14th (or 17th)
according to the International Meteor Organization (IMO).  These are fast
meteors, with a velocity of about 56 km per second.  ZHR rates at maximum
will be about 4 meteors per hour.  With a radiant about 30 degrees south of
the top of the 'J' of Scorpius, this is primarily a southern shower.  A map
showing the radiant can be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2005/winter

What is ZHR?  ZHR refers to Zenithal Hourly Rate, and is the number of
meteors that an observer would expect to see, on average, if they are
out under a dark country sky, and if the radiant, the area in the sky where
the meteors seem to come from, is directly overhead.

The delta Leonids (DLE), although having peaked back on February 25th, can
still be seen through until about March 10th.  These are slow meteors, with
a velocity of about 23 km per second.  ZHR rates at maximum were about 2
meteors per hour, but rates in March will be lower.  A map of the radiant
can be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007.  According to the IMO,
this minor shower is probably linked to the Asteroid (4450) Pan.

The Antihelion Source (ANT), the ecliptical activity, produces a ZHR of
about 3 meteors per hour, with an average velocity of about 30 km per
second.  A map showing the movement of the radiant throughout the month can
be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007

For other March minor showers not on the International Meteor
Organization's 'Working List of Visual Meteor Showers', and for a wealth of
historical information on all showers, check out Gary Kronk's 'Comets and
Meteor Showers' website at http://comets.amsmeteors.org.  Kronk's website
makes really interesting reading on both major and minor showers - if you
haven't visited it lately, check it out.

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

If you want to record visual data 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.  If you have any questions, drop a note to the NAMN Coordinator at
meteors at comcast.net

For visual observers, NAMN has a set of 4 star charts to help you judge the
brightness (magnitude) of the meteors you see.  They are also a great tool
for new observers to help you learn your constellations better.  The charts
can be printed off from http://www.namnmeteors.org/charts.html.  Set your
printer to landscape mode.

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

2.  Other March Sky Activity...

For interesting photos and observations of planets and other astronomical
activity, bookmark the website http://www.spaceweather.com on your computer.
Every day it has up to date news, and amazing photos taken by amateurs all
around the globe.  Need to know what's going on right now in the sky?  The
SpaceWeather site is one of the best information sources available.

Planets at midmonth, and their magnitudes, for northern observers, are:
Venus      -3.8   in southwest in early evening sky
Jupiter    -2.1   in Ophiuchus
Saturn      0.1   in Leo
Mars        1.2   in Capricornus in morning twilight

The phases of the moon for March are as follows:
Sat. Mar.  3   full moon
Mon. Mar. 12   last quarter
Mon. Mar. 19   new moon
Sun. Mar. 25   first quarter

A very useful monthly moon calendar can be printed off from
http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon

For kids (of all ages), NASA puts out a neat space calendar that you can
print off each month.  Check out
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/calendar.shtml

Need a constellation refresher?  Check out the sky charts on the website
'Heavens Above' at http://www.heavens-above.com.  Ignore the 'Register' bit.
Just 'Select' your country, then your city, and then scroll down the page to
'Whole Sky Chart'.  Type in what day you want, and pick a time of night.
Pick black on white as it's easier to read and print off.  The maps show the
constellations and the positions of all the visible planets.

3.  International Meteor Conference...

This year, the International Meteor Organization is holding its IMC
(International Meteor Conference) in early June - in France.  This is the
worldwide gathering of meteor observers and researchers, both amateur and
professional - in a casual setting that includes talks, camaraderie, and
lots of informal discussion about meteors and types of astronomical
observing.  The conference starts on June 7th and runs until June 10th.

The location is Bareges, France, with accommodation at l'Hospitalet.  Talks
will be held at the nearby village cinema.  For casual evening camaraderie,
the IMC will have its own private bar at the 'Foyer' of l'Hospitalet, where
observers can "chat until the early morning hours, enjoying a fine selection
of French wines..."  For extra relaxation, the famous thermal baths of
Bareges are nearby.

There will be a special excursion to the Pic du Midi Observatory in the
Pyrenees to visit the telescopes, the solar coronagraph, and the astronomy
museum.

Prior to the IMC, there will be a Radio Meteor School from June 6th to 7th,
with lectures on the physical and mathematical theory of radio meteor
observations.  Note that the Radio Meteor School is separate from the IMC,
so check the website details at http://www.imo.net/imc2007/radioschool.php.

What is the cost for the IMC?  The registration fee is 120 Euros before May
1st and 130 Euros after.  The fee includes the conference, all your
accommodation, all your meals, the excursion to the Pic du Midi Observatory,
and a conference t-shirt.  There is financial assistance available in some
situations - contact the organizers for details.

More information on the conference, the Bareges countryside in France, and
the list of participants registered so far can be found on the IMC website
at http://www.imo.net/imc2007.  For any questions, contact Francois Colas or
Jeremie Vaubaillon at imc2007 at imo.net

Come to France in June to meet your fellow meteor observers!

4.  Upcoming Meetings...

June 7-10, 2007, Bareges, France...

The International Meteor Conference (IMC) of the IMO will be held in
Bareges, France from June 7th to 10th. It is being organized jointly by the
IMCCE, Institut de Mecanique Celeste et de Calcul des Ephemerides, the Paris
Observatory, the Observatoire Midi-Pyrennees and AUDE, l'Association des
Utilisateurs de Detecteurs Electroniques.  This is a gathering for both
amateur and professional meteor observers - and a wonderful opportunity to
meet observers from all around the globe.  Accommodation will be at
l'Hospitalet, with talks at the nearby village cinema.  The registration fee
is 120 EUR before May 1st, 130 EUR after.  The fee includes the conference,
all your accommodation, all your meals, a special excursion to visit the
Pic du Midi Observatory in the Pyrenees - and a conference t-shirt.  For
radio observers, there will be a Radio Meteor School  just prior to the
IMC conference.  For more info, check out the conference website at
http://www.imo.net/imc2007

June 11-15, 2007, Barcelona, Spain...

The Meteoroids 2007 conference will be held from June 11th to 15th at the
CosmoCaixa Museum in Barcelona, Spain, organized by the Institut d'Estudis
Espacials de Catalunya.

The preliminary scientific program includes the following sessions:
1. Observational techniques and meteor detection programs
2. Meteor showers' activity and forecasting
3. Orbits of meteoroids and dust
4. Meteoroids' interactions with atmospheres
5. Atmospheric effects induced by meteors
6. Astromineralogy:  properties of meteoroids
7. Interrelationships:  meteoroids - IDPs - dust - micrometeorites -
   meteorites
8. Meteoroid flux and impact hazard
9. Meteor studies in astrobiology

Invited speakers include Diego Janches, Pavel Spurny, Douglas ReVelle, Peter
Brown, Jeremie Vaubaillon, Junichi Watanabe, Peter Jenniskens, P.A. Wiegert,
I. Williams, Olga Popova, Lars Dyrud, John Plane, Nick Mitchel, Frans J.M.
Rietmeijer, Jiri Borovicka, George Flynn, Matthew Genge, Clark Chapman, M.E.
Sansaturio, Jose L. Ortiz, Joseph A. Nuth III, Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez, and
Alessandra Rotundi.

For more information, check out the Meteoroids 2007 website at
http://www.spmn.uji.es/meteoroids-2007, or contact Dr. Josep M.
Trigo-Rodriguez at trigo at ieec.uab.es.

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

5.  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
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Writer, NAMN Notes

Lew Gramer, dedalus at alum.mit.edu
Homestead, Florida, 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 March...

March 2007 NAMN Notes
written by Cathy Hall & edited by Mark Davis
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