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Re: (meteorobs) Trains in dim, fast meteors?
-- [ From: Robert Lunsford * EMC.Ver #2.5.1 ] --
Lew, You Wrote:
What exactly is the reasoning behind the 3rd magnitude cutoff? Is it
because of the difficulty of detecting fainter ephemeral extended
objects with the eye? Or are there actual physical explanations that
make smaller material in a stream (i.e., meteoroids resulting in dimmer
meteors) unlikely to produce trains?
Trains and wakes are produced by meteors of all magnitudes.
Unfortunately due to less than perfect observing conditions observers
tend not to see trains and wakes in meteors fainter than 3rd magnitude.
Lew, you had the opportunity to observe in pristine conditions allowing
you to catch this faint wake. I have also seen wakes and trains on 4th
magnitude meteors but these are extremely rare. Has anyone seen this
phenomena on a 5th magnitude meteor of fainter?
Bob Lunsford