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Evening Quadrantids
Last night was my last of 3 observing nights out of the past 4. I had the
opportunity to look where the Quadrantid radiant would be at around Jan 4th.
It soon became apparent that I was suffering from a case of brain fart
amnesia. Originally our discussion was about how far below the horizon can a
radiant be to see meteors from it. When Norman mentioned seeing a Quadrantid
during late twilight, which would put the radiant about 6 hours from rising
over the horizon, it at first seemed unlikely. Not considering the radiants
high Northerly Declination (+49) into account, I converted the hours into
degrees below the horizon...in this case about 90 degrees below. In reality,
for Normans latitude of 28 degrees North, the radiant will get no further
than about 13 degrees below the horizon. (90deg - Latitude) - (Radiant
Declination) = 13 degrees lowest dip below horizon. This would mean that
although the radiant would be below the horizon for about 6 hours, it
wouldn't be very far below. With this in consideration, I'd be very
surprised if Norman didn't see any Quadrantids in the evening. In fact, for
observers with Northerly latitude of 49 degrees, the Quadrantid radiant would
be Circumpolar. For my latitude of near 33 degrees, it would not be. I
normally don't contemplate observing for a shower in the evening when it's
radiant rises after midnight, but in this case it could be interesting to
observe for it's possible long sky crossing members. Scientific value may be
limited, but if the timing is right, the spectator value may be worthwhile.
Sorry Norman...apples were mixed with oranges and out came succotash or
something unpalpable. I'd like to claim sleep deprivation or just take the
5th, but in reality, I think it was a simple case of brain gas with no end in
sight.
George