(meteorobs) [meteorite-list] Geminid photos uploaded/did anyone notice anything unusual ab...

[countdeiro at earthlink.net]

George Zay said ">>Perhaps it's just me, but did anyone  else notice more persistent trains 
than usual? Although there were not too  many fireballs that I saw, even 
dimmer (but still negative magnitude)  Geminids seemed to leave long 
lasting trains.<<

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.

Count Deiro 

-----Original Message-----
>From: geozay at aol.com
>Sent: Dec 18, 2009 12:05 PM
>To: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] (meteorobs) Geminid photos uploaded/did anyone	notice anything unusual ab...
>
>
>
>
>>>Perhaps it's just me, but did anyone  else notice more persistent trains 
>than usual? Although there were not too  many fireballs that I saw, even 
>dimmer (but still negative magnitude)  Geminids seemed to leave long 
>lasting trains.<<
>
>This is  something I wouldn't be expecting. I kept personal records of 
>train activity  when I observed in the 1990's. For the Geminids, I showed a rate 
>of only 3.2%  that displayed visible wakes or trains. That was for the 
>years of 1993, 1995,  1996 and 1998 under sky limiting magnitudes of between 5.6 
>and 6.0. Those years  produced 1413 Geminids with 45 showing trains. I'd 
>frequently see many bright  members without a train. The Geminids entry 
>velocity is 35 km/s. I noticed that  the faster the entry velocity, generally the 
>more trains will be perceived. For  example Leonids have an entry velocity 
>of 71 km/s with 55% train production. And  for North Taurids with entry 
>velocity of 29 km/s I saw a rate of 1.6% train  production. On occasions I'd find 
>something that doesn't hold to that  pattern...such as the Alpha 
>Capricornids...with an entry velocity of 25 km/s I  find their train production around 
>3.9%. As for the sporadic population I found  overall train production to 
>be at 13.8%
>George Zay  
>
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