(meteorobs) Train production...was something else. :O)

[Leo S]

Thank you for posting that data George, and the snippet from the 
meteorite-list. Very interesting breakdown of the statistics!

It's been a long time since I saw anything like the amount of Geminids 
observed this year, and also since I observed them under relatively dark 
skies. No doubt that has skewed my recollection of past showers at least 
a bit. I need to get out of town more I think ;)

What surprised me most, and this is assuming that the meteors captured 
by the cameras were not much brighter than those I was seeing, was that 
the longest lasting train I saw lasted perhaps no longer than 2-3 
seconds (-3 or -4 mag. meteors with an estimated sky LM of about +6 in 
the zenith, but only down to about 15 degrees. Below that, where most of 
the brighter Geminids were seen, the LM rapidly rose!), but the cameras 
were able to "see" them for many minutes.

It shouldn't surprise me I know since cameras are much better at 
gathering photons over time, but it still does!

Even so I have not come across this before (even with the faster 
showers) to this degree at least, but perhaps it is just down to having 
more cameras running than before, and catching a few chance events, 
although I still can't help but wonder if somehow the conditions at high 
altitude where the trains are formed were somehow more favorable for 
train formation/longevity than they usually are.

Clear Skies!
Leo


geozay at aol.com wrote:
> I'm not sure the first sent made it to the  lists...so we might have a 
> double posting...sorry about  that.
> geo
>   
>>> Would anyone care to share their knowledge of the  factors at play in the 
>>>       
> production of visible "trains"? I would surmise that the  velocity of the 
> object has less to do with this than the mass and the  penetration to denser 
> lower altitudes.<<
>
> Here are some more of what  I have recorded from my observations during the 
> 1990's. I'm sure the number of  bright magnitudes and number of meteors in 
> my survey will have some influence,  but I think velocity strongly enters 
> the picture for visible train production.  Also Sky magnitude and personal 
> visual acuity will have some influence as well.  
>
> Shower                 Entry Velocity          # of  Meteors                
>  Train  Production
>
> Leonid                      71km/s                    573                   
>                55%
> Eta  Aquarid              66km/s                     158                    
>               45.6%
> Aurigids                    66km/s                     52                   
>               40.4%
> Orinids                     66km/s                      459                 
>               38.1%
> Coma Bernicids         65km/s                     14                        
>          35.7%
> Delta  Aurigids             64km/s                   100                    
>               31%
> Perseids                    59km/s                   1357                   
>               41.4%
> Hydrids                     58km/s                     26                   
>               7.7%
> Lyrids                        49km/s                     179                
>                  16.2%
> N.Delta Aquarids         42km/s                      96                     
>           3.1%
> S. Delta Aquarids        41km/s                      263                    
>             4.6%
> Quadrantids                41km/s                      104                  
>              5.8%
> Geminids                    35km/s                    1413                  
>                3.2%
> Virginids                     30km/s                    120                 
>                  4.2%
> N.Taurids                    29km/s                      437                
>                1.6%
> Delta  Cancrids             28km/s                      18                  
>               0%
> S.  TAurids                    27km/s                      311              
>                  0.32%
> Capricornids                25km/s                        127               
>                3.9%
> sporadics                    N/A                             5900           
>                   13.8%                            
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>
>