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Re: (meteorobs) Question?

George,

>   >>  But 
>  apparently you think that after-midnight observing are more important 
>  than pre-midnight observations.  Why do you think this?  There may be 
>  more activity after midnight, but does that make it more important?
>   >>
> 
> It makes it more useful...If you wish to find some statistical meaning to
> what you see, it would help to have a significant number of meteors to work
> with. Prior to midnight there is seldom enough meteors worth the effort for
> nearly all nites of the year. 

I don't quite agree with this statement. I would say, that pre-midnight
observations have the same value linke early morning ones.

There are two main sources of meteors that we investigate: shower meteors
and sporadics.

As for the sporadics it is true, that you have higher rates towards the
morning hours for reasons explained aleady by others. However, if we want
to obtain a complete picture of the annual sporadic activitiy it is not
enough if we restrict ourselfs to the morning hours. Form that you hardly
get a complete picture, since you would need observations from the same
day for many consecutive years to overcome the large gaps. The problem
becomes less prominent with meteor observers distributed around the world,
but even then the number of really active observers is so low, that every
good (!) observation from both morning and evening is most welcome.

As for the shower meteors, here the rate mainly depends on the date and
time of maximum and the radiant altitude. Often the radiant of a meteor
showers reaches larger heights in the morning hours, which improves the
statistics (one extreme are the Eta Aquarids, which are only visible in
the morning hours from northern latitudes). However, other showers have
high radiant both in the evening and in the morning and can be equally
good observed at these times. 
To determine the maxima dates of meteor showers you neccessarily have to
watch the evening sky, if that's the predicted time.

Finally, there are these 'obscure' and most interesting meteor outburst
caused by long-periodic or unknown comets. Essentially they can happen at
every time of day. You will only recognize them if you monitor the sky as
complete as possible. Also here, the evening hours are as important as the
morning hours.

So - I see no reason to put in a weight here.
Sirko

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*           Sirko Molau             *                    __              *  
*         Verbindungsweg 7          *             " 2B v 2B "            * 
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*        sirko.molau@dlrdot de         *                       Shakespeare  *
*      http://www.snafudot de/~smo     *                                    *
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