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Re: Eta Aquarids
-- [ From: Robert Lunsford * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
> Lew,
>
> I too have seen meteors that seem to line up with a radiant that has
not
> risen. Of course these are not counted as shower meteors since it is
> impossible to have meteors make contact with the atmosphere if the
radiant
> is much below the horizon. I do not agree the figure of 20 degrees
> altitude before one can associate a meteor with a particular shower.
It
> should be possible that a meteor could skim the upper atmosphere if
the
> radiant lies on or just below the horizon. Therefore I would count a
> meteor as a shower member once the radiant is within 15 minutes of
rising.
> In September of 94 George Zay and witnessed a nice outburst of Alpha
> Aurigids with the radiant near 10 degrees altitude. I also caught
part of
> the 82 Lyrid outburst while the radiant was well below 20 degrees
> altitude. Perhaps the IMO, NAMN, and the AMS are concerned about the
> possible overcorrecting of ZHR's that can occur when the radiants lie
> close to the horizon. That still would not stop me from trying to
observe
> a radiant at low altitudes or perhaps just below the horizon. Believe
me,
> meteors from low altitude radiants are often very long and
spectacular and
> well worth setting up a bit earlier than normal.
Bob in San Diego