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(meteorobs) NAMN Notes: September 1998

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NAMN Notes: September 1998
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Contents:

1. Fall Observing...
2. September Showers...
3. Summer Vacation Report - NAMNfest 98!...
4. Wayne Hally does Canada...
5. Upcoming Meetings...
6. For more info...


1. Fall Observing...

Now that September is here, we can look forward to cooler nights in North
America. The summer showers are starting to wane, the Perseids are over,
and it is a good opportunity for all the new observers to get some cool,
bug-free nights to learn the sky better. It may have been a bit confusing,
with all the radiants in August... the Perseids, Delta Aquarids, Iota
Aquarids, Capricornids... especially if many of the constellations are new
to you.

Pull out some star maps to familiarize yourself - such as those in the
pocketguide 'Stars' by Zim and Baker, or in the centerfold of 'Astronomy'
magazine. Several good star atlases for beginners that label the sky with
RA and Dec coordinates are Tirion's Bright Star Atlas 2000, and Norton's
2000. Norton's also contains a wealth of information of use to beginning
observers.

The summer constellations are still up in the early evening, but the winter
constellations are coming up fast in the post-midnight hours. Some books
give a brief description of the mythology behind the star patterns. Although
this may seem unrelated to actual observing, learning a bit about the
mythology helps beginners to understand, and hence remember, the star
patterns more easily. A good knowledge of the naked eye sky is essential
for determining whether or not a particular meteor came from a particular
shower radiant. It is also essential to know the sky well for plotting
meteors, to confirm possible new radiants.

Fall is also a good time to examine your cool weather observing gear. If
you need to pick up a lawnchair for observing, now is the time to get one -
it is hard to find them in November, at least if you live in northern
climes. With the promise of a very good Leonid display in November, you
will want to be prepared. If you need a warmer sleeping bag or winter coat,
check out your local sporting or hunting stores. These are also good places
to pick up items such as a red flashlight for observing, hand warmers,
decent gloves and balaclava...


2. September Showers...

September does not have any major showers, like August with its Perseids, or
October with its Orionids.

Several minor showers, however, are worth observing, and are ideal for a
more relaxed pace for beginners.

The alpha Aurigids (AUR) reach a ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) of about 10
meteors per hour on September 1st, although much lower rates can be seen
through to about September 5th. These are fast, at about 66 km/sec. The
radiant at max is at 084 i.e. RA 5h36m, Dec +42. Activity from this shower
has been known to occasionally reach much higher rates, such as in 1994,
when the estimated rates were about 40 to 50 an hour, so it is well worth
watching. The parent body of this shower is Comet Kiess 1911 II, with an
orbital period of about 2,500 years.

The delta Aurigids (DAU), often called the 'September Perseids', reach a ZHR
of about 6 meteors per hour on September 8th, with lesser activity ranging
from September 5th to October 10th. These are also fast, at about 64
km/sec. The radiant at max is at 060 i.e. RA 4h00m, Dec +47. The parent
body is suspected to be Comet Bradfield 1972 III, with a period of about
11,000 years, but the orbit of the stream also seems to be similar to those
of the sun-grazing comets, the Kreutz group.

The Piscids (SPI) reach a ZHR of about 3 meteors per hour on September 20th,
but can be seen all month. They are slow, at about 26 km/sec. The radiant
at max is at 005 i.e. RA 0h20m, Dec -01. The parent body is not known.

The kappa Aquarids (KAQ), a more minor shower, reach a maximum about
September 20th as well, but can be seen from September 8th to 30th. They are
very slow, at about 16 km/sec. The radiant at max is at RA 22h36m Dec -02.

There is also a very weak minor shower in September, although it is not
recommended for beginners. The Aries-Triangulids, a minor shower in need of
clarification, has a probable maximum around September 12th, with some
activity possible from September 5th to 15th. These are medium-slow speed,
at about 35 km/sec. It is suspected that this minor shower may be periodic,
with a period of about 5.5 to 6 years, and as such, it is in need of
observation. The radiant at max is at 031 i.e. RA 2h04m, Dec +30.

Some showers visible in August may continue into the first several days of
September. There may be some late NIA's, north iota Aquarids. Likewise,
there may be some very early northern Taurids (NTA), southern Taurids (STA)
and Orionids (ORI) in very late September.


3. Summer Vacation Report - NAMNfest 98!...

The first annual meeting of the North American Meteor Network was held from
July 12th to 18th, at Arbovale, West Virginia, near Green Bank.

In attendance at this first east coast get-together were: Mark Davis from
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Lew Gramer from Medford, Mass., Wayne Hally
from High Bridge, New Jersey, Norman and Joan McLeod from Ft. Myers,
Florida, Pete Gural from Sterling, Virginia, Harry Waldron from Virginia,
Kim Hay from Perth Road, Ontario, and Cathy Hall from Ottawa, Ontario.

The NAMN meeting was planned to overlap with the annual SARA conference
(Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) held at the radio telescope
facilities at Green Bank early in the week, in order that members of the
radio persuasion could attend both! As this was the very first time many of
us had met each other, there were no formal activities planned. Instead, we
opted for informal discussions, some group, some one-on-one, in order to
meet and get to know each other better.

It was most interesting listening to Pete Gural talk about the video
recording of meteors, and the software for reducing the data. Wayne Hally
and Lew Gramer started up an interesting fireside discussion one evening on
the distribution of meteoroids in space. Norman McLeod talked about many
things, and his incredible memory of meteor details and shower
characteristics from various years never ceases to amaze us. We all had
many serious - and many lighthearted - discussions.

Observing? Well, the weather was not as cooperative as our spirits! We had
all brought meteor observing gear with us, and a number of us had telescopes
as well. We did manage some solar viewing, but only on the final Friday
evening did we get some clear skies for meteors.

Daytime activities included some visits to the NRAO, the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory, at Green Bank. We all took their guided tour one
afternoon, and spent an enjoyable time wandering around afterwards, taking
photos and taking in the awe-inspiring sight of the new dish under
construction.

It was a most enjoyable week. We hope to make this an ongoing annual event,
with a flexible schedule as was done this year, so that observers can
perhaps work it into their summer vacation time. It was a great opportunity
to get to know some of the east coast meteor crew and discuss our mutual
interest - meteors!


4. Wayne Hally does Canada...

One of our more gregarious NAMN members, Wayne Hally, was invited up to
Canada this August, to give a meteor talk at Starfest, Canada's largest
amateur astronomical observing convention. There were about 800 people in
attendance from all over eastern North America, all with tents and
telescopes. Speakers gave presentations on a variety of topics including
CCD imaging, photography, and backyard astrophysics. There was even a
children's program.

Wayne gave an excellent talk on meteors and Leonid prospects for this year,
and did an impressive job of explaining many advanced concepts in terms a
beginner could easily understand. The meteor theme this year even extended
to the Starfest t-shirts, sweatshirts, posters and pins - all with an
artistic representation of Leonid meteors radiating from the Lion!

Observing? Well, although mainly sunny during the day, the nights clouded
over, so the chats outnumbered the meteors this year. Memorable moments...
overhearing a bleary-eyed Pierre Martin muttering 'too much Teff!' at 4.42
a.m... and discovering an amazing bottled Canadian drink called
'Fireball'... only in Canada, eh? A good time was had by all.


5. Upcoming Meetings...

November 2-4, 1998: Martian Meteorites: Where Do We Stand and Where Are We
Going? For more information contact Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay
Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058. (281)486-2166

July 26-30, 1999: Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 1999 Conference. To be held at
Cornell University. For more details, see this website:

http://scorpio.tn.cornelldot edu/ACM/


6. For more info...

Contact:
Mark Davis, MeteorObs@charlestondot net
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, USA
Coordinator, North American Meteor Network

And check out:
NAMN home page:
http://medicine.wustldot edu/~kronkg/namn.html

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Here's to 'Clear Skies' for September!...

September 1998 NAMN Notes co-written
by Mark Davis and Cathy Hall
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