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Re: (meteorobs) meteor duration estimates
In a message dated 96-10-29 19:53:31 EST, you write:
<< As with estimating meteor magnitude and path length, estimating duration
is
a practiced skill wich improves with experience. Novices may have only 1/2
second accuracy, but seasoned observers probably have an accuracy of about
+/- 1/10 second. Very fast meteors that could not be estimated are recorded
as being less than the observer's "threshold," such as < 0.2 seconds. I
eventually became confident in my ability to gage between 0.2 and 0.1,
although I could never start and stop my stopwatch in less than 0.12 second.
Take care,
Jim Richardson
Graceville, FL
Richardson@DigitalExpdot com
>>
--------
Jim,
Are you sure you aren't basing a meteors speed by it's apparent motion? I
find it very hard to believe that one can judge a meteors duration in tenths
of a second without basing it on how it appeared. Also, I find it hard to
believe that one is able to start and stop their stopwatch the instant an
unscheduled meteor appears on a reliable and constant basis....especially to
record times in the low tenths of a second. I honestly believe those who make
such claims are actually basing their times on the meteors apparent motion
rather than actual sense of timing.
George Z.