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RE: (meteorobs) Meteor Magnitude Determinations
In referance to an excerpt from D.W.R. McKinley's "Meteor Science and
Engineering" (1961) and his comments on visual meteor magnitude, James
Richardson asked:
>As visual observers, how well do you think you do at adjusting your own
>mental magnitude scale to match the background stars in your viewing area?
>Or do you go by an experienced sense of what a 0, 2nd, 5th, or other magn-
>itude meteor is supposed to look like?
I think that many visual meteor observers develope a sense of magnitude, and
as I only estimate magnitude to the nearest whole magnitude, it is pretty
easy. Having some experiance with estimating the brightness of variable stars
also helps one have a feel for the magnitude scale.
Of course, it is still important to note the altitude of meteors when doing
a meteor count due to the the great difference in distance of the meteors from
the horizon to the zenith. Atmospheric extinction is negligable until you get
ten degrees of less from the horizon. If you plot the absolute magnitude can
be derived from your plot.
GWG