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Re: (meteorobs) Parallel trains



Lew Gramer wrote:

> At 12:25 PM 9/16/97 +0100, you wrote:
> >I've seen hollow trains through the telescope.  These gradually
> expand
> >and fade.  Due to projection effects, such trains can appear to
> consist
> >of a parallel pair of trains.
>
> Of course, the "Ring Nebula effect"! :)
>
> Interesting now that I think of it, though: I knew that the train
> was
> generally cylindrical when it was formed (being mainly a cloud of
> ionized
> atmospheric gas around the meteoroid's burn trail). So I would
> expect this
> hollow cylinder to "fill in" pretty fast as the ionized gases
> mixed and
> dispersed: and it wouldn't always fill in EVENLY either, depending
> on wind
> sheers, etc.
>
> This would be a likely explanation (depending on prevailing air
> currents)
> for all kinds of apparent kinks, twists, rejoinings, etc. in
> "parallel
> trains"... The only things this would NOT explain would be trains
> with
> three or more "parallels". So I'll ask: has anybody seen one of
> these
> "multi-trains"?
>
> Thanks for the note, Malcolm!
> Lew

Thanks Malcolm
    I see where you going.  The cylinder is large and diffuse, but
when you look through the edges, you are looking through more gas
and hence see it as having brighter edges forming two parallel
trains.
    Back to Lew's question, no I don't belive to have seen two
completly parallel trains.  Only the type as described which start
as though there one, then look to break up.  The effect above being
the solution to  this problem.
    One thought that crossed my mind was about the staggered
trains.  Would it be possible that the meteor could be spinning and
presenting different faces to the atmosphere as it burns up.  If the
surface area of the different faces imparted more or less energy on
the atmosphere you may get a staggered train produced.
    Just a thought, any comments.

See ya all and clear skies.
Adam Marsh ASVMS



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