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Re: (meteorobs) Re: Reported Fireball Magnitudes
Hi Ed,
> I am somewhat skeptical about the number and magnitude of fireballs
> being reported by some observers during the Perseid Shower. My own
> observations don't support this, so I'm puzzled as to why I'm not recording
> these very bright fireballs! I have looked at the MORP Camera Network
> statistics published by Halliday et all in the Journal, "METEORITICS - Vol
> 31, No.2 March 1996). There are indeed greater numbers of -3 magnitude and
> brighter meteors reported during the Perseid shower dates. These were
> recorded by a 12 Station - 60 Camera system when it was in operation over an
> eleven year period. For a single Station, the number of -3 magnitude or
> brighter fireballs reported don't seem to support the numbers reported by
> some observers. I do meteor spectroscopy from my observatory on mid
> Vancouver Island and will record spectra of meteors brighter than -2
> magnitude and my own data does not support this either. I would like to
> see some of these observers set up an all-sky or fisheye camera during
> their observing sessions to try and confirm their observations. In
> Europe,observers might be able to check the data from the European Fireball
> Camera Network. I would be very happy if the rates of very bright fireballs
> where as high as reported. I have also looked back at some results reported
> in Meteor News, by Millman and meteors brighter than -3 magnitude are quite
> rare during past visual observations. Maybe I should move to your location
> to improve my spectra numbers!
the 24 German cameras of the 'European Fireball Network' record on average
40 fireballs <=-6 mag each year. However, in 1991 and 1993 the number
jumped to about 80. The only reason for that is, that the network covered
the Geminid maximum of 1991 and the Perseids of 1993 very well. Currently
I do not have the list of the single fireballs at hand, but I can ensure
you that the fireball rate really increases a lot during these major
meteor showers. It is extremely difficult to catch fireballs
photographically, but it is much easier at those times.
In the last few days I did not see any 'spectacular' fireball, but I saw
at least two -4 mag and more than a dozen -3 mag and -2 mag Perseids. I
don't know yet if any of those was recorded by AVIS, since the camera's
field of view is naturally much smaller. I can see fireballs almost
anywhere in the sky (especially when observing in a group, when at least
one observer looks into the right direction and warns you), whereas a
video system is quite restricted.
Finally, don't forget Murphy's Law! :-)
Sirko
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* Sirko Molau * __ *
* Verbindungsweg 7 * " 2B v 2B " *
* D-15366 Hoenow * *
* sirko.molau@dlrdot de * Shakespeare *
* http://www.snafudot de/~smo * *
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