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Re: (meteorobs) Air Force Experts Explain Upcoming Meteor Storm
Dear MeteorObs,
Have any of you read this Air Force Release? They need to get their facts
straight. I thought about using it with my students until I read the part
below. They seem to think that the earth encounters only 12 showers a year
and implies that normally there are only 10-15 Leonid meteroids an hour
hitting the earth instead of 10-15 per hour hitting a limited spot on the
earth.
>Air Force News Service
>
>Released: 20 Oct 1998
>
>14th Air Force experts explain upcoming meteor storm
>By Capt. Robyn Chumley, 21st Space Wing Public Affairs
>
>
>The result: The potential for one son-of-a-gun sandstorm in space for
>satellites. Thirty-two years ago, the Leonids produced an estimated 150,000
>meteoroids per hour. Researchers place this year's storm count at anywhere
>from a stormy 10,000 per hour, to the relatively tame 200 per hour. In
>comparison, an average shower -- Earth encounters about 12 of them a year --
>tends to be benign, with only 10-15 meteoroids an hour.
>
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Terry Richardson
Department of Physics and Astronomy
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC 29424
pager #937-1048
note new area code for the SC Lowcountry!
843 953-8071 phone
843 953-4824 fax
http://www.cofcdot edu/~richardt/
Office Loaction: Science Center Room 102
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