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Re: (meteorobs) Those pesky path lengths



In a message dated 97-08-08 18:17:39 EDT, you write:

<< Since last year, I've been doing shower identification only if the path
 length was "WITHIN a reasonable amount" of 1/2 the start-point-to-radiant
 distance... Based on Juergen's comments recently, I'm slowly realizing this
 is wrong! What I understand from Juergen (and now you), is that the path
 can be any length LESS THAN or equal to this 1/2 radiant-distance amount??
 This would put a skew in all my shower totals up to this point! (So I guess
 it's a lucky thing there haven't BEEN too many shower totals from me yet...
>>


I'm really confused now. My take on it was that the radiant of any potential
meteor was double the endpoint of the meteor. For example - if you see a
meteor that is 10 degrees long the radiant was about 20 degrees from where
the meteor disappears.  


     @ __________|----------------->         (can't get the two lines to line
up, you get the idea tho)

@sign is radiant
           solid line measurement
                            dotted line is meteor seen
solid line and dotted line is more or less the same size.


Norm:  <<I agree with Jim R that experience on path lengths becomes the best
guide
for Perseids.  Get out and watch, develop a feel for what path lengths are
looking like, and go from there. >>

I don't know if I can agree w/ that. You can't add 2+2 if you don't know what
the "+" stands for. Looking at it all day won't help either. You (I) need
some sort of foundation to build on.


Kevin, throwing a monkey wrench in to the gear