(meteorobs) Meteor Activity Outlook for September 27-October 3, 2008
marci.duncan
marcik_duncan at msn.com
Sun Sep 28 01:14:01 EDT 2008
I reported the fireball I saw last night - very large brilliant whit
with blusih trail. Low in sky tracked from east Tampa to Brdadenton
fl. Daughter and her frinds saw it in Tampa and I saw it in Bradenton
fl, Someone else YaHOO saw it in WInter Haven Area and couple others
mentioned. I was near Sarasota Bradenton airport and its trajectory
should have put it across or near airport. Could they have tracked
it? As close as it was, could have landed nearby... though it landed
in the trailer park next door - it was that close. Took Astronomy
class and talked to people and know distance can be disceptive.
But angle was so low and it disappeared behind buildiings. Could
reports indicate more than one? Sheriff and newspaper in Bradenton
had no report. Is there any way to tell where this originated?
Would hope you coud have enough reports to track and obtain landin
site. Know that sounds unlikely - but still hopoeful. Letting folks
know to file reports.
Now I could be addicted!
Marci K. Duncan, Professional Geologist
Duncan Resource COnsultants, Inc.
941-751-3681
Cell 941-730-5303
--- In meteorobs at yahoogroups.com, "Robert Lunsford"
<lunro.imo.usa at ...> wrote:
>
> Meteor activity in general increases in October when compared to
September.
> A major shower (the Orionids) is active most of the month along
with several
> minor showers. Both branches of the Taurids become more active as
the month
> progresses, providing slow, graceful meteors to the nighttime
scene. The
> Orionids are the big story of the month reaching maximum activity
on the
> 21st. This display can be seen equally well from both hemispheres
which
> definitely helps out observers located in the sporadic-poor southern
> hemisphere this time of year.
>
> During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Monday
September 29th.
> At this time the moon will be located near the sun and will not be
visible
> at night. Later in the period the waxing crescent moon will enter
the
> evening sky but set soon after the end of evening twilight. It will
not
> interfere with meteor observing no matter the hour. The estimated
total
> hourly rates for evening observers this week is near six for those
located
> in the mid-northern hemisphere (45 N) and three for those viewing
from the
> mid-southern hemisphere (45 S). For morning observers the estimated
total
> hourly rates should be near twenty for those located in the mid-
northern
> hemisphere (45 N) and ten for those viewing from the mid-southern
hemisphere
> (45 S). Locations between these two extremes would see activity
between the
> listed figures. 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 and rates listed below are exact for Saturday
> night/Sunday morning September 27/28. 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. It must be
remembered that
> meteor activity is rarely seen at the radiant position. Rather they
shoot
> outwards from the radiant so it is best to center your field of
view so that
> the radiant lies at the edge and not the center. Viewing there will
allow
> you to easily trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if
it is a
> shower member) or in another direction if it is a sporadic. 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 showers are expected to be active this week:
>
> The center of the large Northern Taurid (NTA) radiant is now
centered at
> 01:24 (021) +12. This position lies in eastern Pisces, three degrees
> southwest of the fourth magnitude star Eta Piscium. The center of
the large
> Southern Taurid (STA) radiant lies at 01:36 (024) +07. This
position also
> lies in eastern Pisces, three degrees southwest of the fourth
magnitude star
> Eta Piscium. The two radiants are separated by slightly over five
degrees.
> Since they have nearly the same right ascension (celestial
longitude), it is
> difficult to distinguish meteors that move north or south out of the
> radiants. It is less difficult to distinguish those meteors
traveling east
> or west. These radiants are best placed near the meridian at 0200.
At 29 and
> 27 km/sec., the average Taurid meteor travels slowly through the
skies.
>
> The Delta Aurigids (DAU) are present in the morning skies in the
second half
> of September and early October. Maximum activity occurs on October
3rd with
> an average ZHR of two. Current rates will be most likely near one
per hour
> as seen from the northern hemisphere and less than one as seen from
the
> south of the equator. The radiant is currently located 05:24 (081)
+49. This
> position lies in northwestern Auriga, three degrees north of the
zero
> magnitude star Capella (Alpha Aurigae). At 64km/sec., the average
Delta
> Aurigid is swift.
>
> Sirko Molau's study of video radiants has shown an active radiant
located in
> Orion during this period. The September Alpha Orionids (AOR) peak on
> September 27th with a radiant located near 05:24 (081) +07. The
area of the
> sky is located in northwestern Orion near the bright star Bellatrix
(Gamma
> Orionis). Activity is more than a ZHR of one between September 24th
and the
> 30th. This radiant was one of the strongest new showers detected in
the
> video survey. Meteors from this radiant are not visible during the
evening
> hours as Orion lies beneath the horizon during this time. The
radiant gains
> altitude during the morning hours and is most favorably located
near 0600
> LDT when it lies highest above the horizon. Due to its location
near the
> celestial equator, activity is visible nearly everywhere. Tropical
locations
> are favored as the radiant passes overhead. Hourly rates this week
would be
> near one no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 59
km/sec., most
> members of the September Alpha Orionids would possess a swift
velocity.
>
> During 2005 and 2006 a shower of bright meteors has occurred on
October 5th
> and 6th, radiating from near the Draco/Camelopardalis border. The
2007
> display was missed due to moonlight and clouds. The October
Camelopardalids
> (OCT) peak for only a few hours but shower members are bright and
should be
> easy to observe. The 2008 display is predicted to occur near 14 UT
on
> October 5th, which corresponds to 0700 PST. It is daylight at this
time from
> the USA's west coast but observers along the Pacific coast of
Canada and
> Alaska can view at this time. The last hour before dawn may provide
some
> activity as seen from the western USA and Canada. The estimated
position of
> the radiant on the 5th is 10:48 (162) +79. The nearest easy star to
identify
> the radiant is 4th magnitude SAO1551. Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris)
lies 12
> degrees to the north. This area of the sky is circumpolar from
nearly the
> entire northern hemisphere. The radiant lies highest above the
horizon in a
> dark sky at both dusk and at dawn. Due to this unusual situation
this shower
> would be totally invisible from the southern hemisphere. With an
entry
> velocity of 47 miles per second most members of the October
Camelopardalids
> would be of medium-swift velocity. Shower members should be seen
from
> October 1-10, but at very low numbers away from the peak hour on
the 5th.
>
> As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45N) one would expect to
see
> approximately fifteen Sporadic meteors per hour during the last
hour before
> dawn as seen from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be
near four
> per hour. As seen from the mid-southern hemisphere (45S), morning
rates
> would be near four per hour as seen from rural observing sites and
one per
> hour during the evening hours. Locations between these two extremes
would
> see activity between the listed figures.
>
> The table below presents a summary of the expected activity this
week. Rates
> and positions are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning but may
be used
> all week.
>
> Northern Taurid (NTA) 01:24 (021) +12 Velocity - 29km/sec
> Hourly Rates: Northern Hemisphere - 2 Southern Hemisphere - 2
>
> Southern Taurid (STA) 01:36 (024) +07 Velocity - 27km/sec.
> Hourly Rates: Northern Hemisphere - 3 Southern Hemisphere - 3
>
> Delta Aurigids (DAU) 05:24 (081) +49 Velocity - 64km/sec.
> Hourly Rates: Northern Hemisphere - 1 Southern Hemisphere - <1
>
> September Alpha Orionids (AOR) 05:24 (081) +07 Velocity -
59km/sec.
> Hourly Rates: Northern Hemisphere - 1 Southern Hemisphere - 1
>
> October Camelopardalids (OCT) 10:48 (162) +79 Velocity -
47km/sec.
> Hourly Rates: Northern Hemisphere - <1 Southern 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#X2008
>
> Clear Skies!
> Robert Lunsford
> American Meteor Society
>
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