(meteorobs) Origin of ZHR?

meteors at eclipse.net meteors at eclipse.net
Sat May 12 08:49:34 EDT 2007


What a great question!
I see the term used as a factual definition in the 1995 IMO visual
observers handbook.
Peter Jenniskens used it (with formula) in the 1994 Astronomy and
Astrpophysics article on Meteor Showers,and
Gary Kronk used the term in his 1988 Meteor SHowers: A descriptive Catalog
book, but without a despition or derivation of the term. From historical
accounts contained within, it appears the focus throughout the early 20th
century was in finding and documenting radiants, not shower rates.
IMC's from the early 90's use the term, but I have no copies before 1990
so cannot trace the development.

Before that it gets fuzzy. The concept appears to have begun developing
with Porter's 1952 Comets and Meteor Showers, but he still referred to
"Hourly rate" All the correction factors were not considered and the term
ZHR was not used.

So the concept of a "Standard Temeperature and Pressure" for meteor rate
comparison appears to have developed over those several decades, but I'm
still searching for the first use of the term (and what it looked like
then) in the historical literature.

Without the use of standardized observations, such calculation would have
been impossible. WIthout such observations, and resultant ZHR
calculations, the mathematicial models that predict storms and outbursts
during the last decade would have been impossible.

I can't wait to see what input comes from Gary and Rainer.
And anyone else that has a clue!!

Wayne


> Does anyone know who developed the concept of the Zenithal Hourly Rate,
> and
> when it was proposed?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Rich
>
>
> ---
> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>



More information about the Meteorobs mailing list