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(meteorobs) Perseids & Radiant Drift
Gregg -
You wrote:
>Be careful with those early Perseids. I took a beating last year for
>reporting a few from the first week of July. I've seen what I've
>logged as Perseids during the first week of July over the last
>several years. Granted, it amounts to one or 2 a night, but,
>according to appearance as well as radiating from the region of the
>radiant, taking radiant drift into account, I saw them as Perseids...
>I was reminded of held-to knowledge and beliefs where Perseid
>stream/earth orbit geomtry was concerned. A debate ensued. A possible
>different radiant was even mentioned.
Well, I was <not> looking for, or <expecting>, any Perseids on Sunday
morning! However, three of the four that I called Perseids were real beauts
- with all the classic stuff:
1. 6.25 UT, mag. 2.5, fast, white, 15 degree, 1 sec. train
2. 7.10 UT, mag. 1.5, fast, white, 20 degree, 1 sec. train
3. 7.21 UT, mag. 4.0, fast, white
4. 7.43 UT, mag. 2.0, fast, white, 15 degree, 1 sec. train
I was most surprised to see them, but quite delighted!
I was talking last night on the phone to an ALPO meteor observer I have
discovered up here, Pierre Martin, and he also said he saw several Perseids
that same morning, observing at about the same time I was, at a location a
couple hours drive east of where I was.
The two of us also had an interesting discussion on radiant drift, but
regarding the Capricornids, not the Perseids. I mentioned that I thought it
would be a neat idea to do up some reference maps showing <lines> for the
radiant positions, with beginning and end dates, and several dates marked in
the middle for long drifts. I realize that all the various meteor calendars
list radiant drift, but it is <<much>> easier to visualize and remember
something when you're looking at a star map, instead of just a table of
numbers!! ...
Anyway, just some comments...
- Cathy
Great White North