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Re: (meteorobs) Variable magnitude meteor-how to report
-- [ From: Robert Lunsford * EMC.Ver #2.5.1 ] --
Wayne, You Wrote:
> OK Mark,George,Jurgen,Bob...
> Just to make sure Kevin and I are doing this right....
> Last night we observed a very nice meteor which was dim yellow for
most of
> it's path, but had two very bright blue white flashes near the end.
> Am I correct that the magnitude reported should be that of the peak
> brightness?
> It was really quite spectacular BTW.
The maximum magnitude is what should be recorded with each meteor. Most
long meteors are variable in brightness. The maximum brightness usually
occurs with the terminal burst. This is especially true for swift
meteors. Slower meteors can often reach peak brightness in the middle of
their display, dimming as it extinguishes. Regardless of where the peak
intensity occurs, the maximum magnitude is what should be recorded.
The color of the meteor you described above should include the pre-burst
dim yellow and the bluish-white bursts. It could be recorded something
like this:
Yellow -> Blue-White (twin bursts).
Hope this helps.
Bob Lunsford