(meteorobs) OT -1610 Debris stream significantly larger or denser?

[Karl Antier]

Hi Larry, hi all of you,

I don't think yous question has been answered, so I try to answer it, but
lease correct me if I'm wrong, as most of you are more specialists in
meteoroids dynamics than I am.

> In that first stream the meteors/fireballs are brighter and longer lasting
> on my camera than at any other time in the Perseid shower periods. This was
> recorded on both late evenings of the 11th & 12th at 10PM to 11PM PST.
>
> It might be explained the Comet swift-Tuttle was larger in 1610, or
> contained a newer surface of rougher texture at that time, which has been
> systematically become smoother(?) or denser as the Comet lost more of its
> outer shell debris over time.

I don't think so.
In my own opinion, this effect may mainly due to the mass-sorting of the
particles along 109P/swift-Tutle path. The smallest meteoroids are easy
to move by solar winds and other forces, whereas biggest ones are more
difficult to put out of their original orbit. That's why, for example,
the 1998 Leonid display (which occured 24h before the expected storm,
and was due to the crossing of a very old trail, ~1300) was constituted
of very bright fireballs. I think it must be the same effect that might
have given the biggest number of bright Perseids during the 1610-trail
this year.

Clear skies,
Karl