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(meteorobs) Re: IMO-NEWS: Satellites to be "Sandblasted" by Leonid Storm
>Ailor said Aerospace collected information on spacecraft anomalies
>experienced during the 1997 Leonid shower and will be collecting similar
>information for the 1998 and 1999 events. "This information will help us
>plan for the 1999 Leonid and future meteoroid storms..."
This paragraph made me curious: why would meteor researchers (of whatever
stripe) choose the 1997 Leonids as a study case for meteoroid satellite impact
threats? The '97 LEOs were NOT exactly storm-level - and in fact from what I've
seen (keeping in mind lunar conditions last Nov 16/17), folks would be hard
pressed to even point to "enhanced activity" in the LEOs last year. Wouldn't it
have made more sense to study some more outburst-prone showers like the
Perseids, Quadrantids, or maybe minor "burst" showers like Alpha Monocerotids;
or even all the prospective outbursters combined?
I feel a li'l bit reactionary, being so skeptical about the "meteoroid storm
threat" (not to mention "the PHA threat"). Especially because I support the
cause of increased funding for Earth-based planetery research, and especially
meteor science! But I can't help asking questions, I guess. :)
PS: Thanks to Luigi for a much-needed correction of my "brain blip" the other
day regarding Leonid meteor storm rates: 10,000 meteors/second is absurdly high
for any well-recorded storm in history. (Of course, a little wishful thinking
doesn't hurt sometimes either... ;>)
Clear skies!
Lew
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