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(meteorobs) Rainer Arlt's visit/Radiant Diameters


Well....I had the pleasure of Rainer Arlt's company for two nights at my home.
He just left this morning. There was a mini-IMC of a sorts with him here. We
had lots of discussions and various "show and tell" opportunities pertaining
to meteors and other things. I took him on a tour of the museums, Botanical
gardens and environs of Balboa park here in San Diego, Calif. When we met up
with Bob lunsford at his house, we were given a tour of Bob's impressive
cactus garden. After touring Balboa park I tolk Rainer to Ocean Beach pier
where I let him do some sight seeing. It was low tide, so we took the
opportunity to check out the many tide pools. We found lots of interesting
creatures. Namely: Several lobsters, a couple sea slugs, a large shell fish
called a "carbunkle", and the main attraction was a relatively large octopus.
The octopus was about 2 feet long. It was pretty neat. Afterwards we came home
and took Rainer out to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and got
something a little better than what you can get at a Taco Bell. After supper,
Bob came over and did some IMO stuff with Rainer and narrated a couple photo
albums of years of astronomical events he witnessed.

Before Bob came over, I showed him my "Dry Wash" machine (for gold
prospecting), rock collections, dark room set up, fossils, aligning cord, and
other trinkets. I demonstrated a couple dew preventing ideas that I
had...including the soap on the lens concept. Then my daughter and I assaulted
him with family photo albums of yester years....she even showed him her baby
pictures....nothing was spared.   :o) 

 On the first night and this morning, Rainer and I talked about Radiant
Diameters in regards to the recent thread that's been discussed here. Just
about everything I said and posted in that regards, he was in relatively
complete agreeance. The point that bob brought up yesterday about the
Orionid's radiant being originally listed at 10 degrees and not the 0.84
degrees due to there are 4 small, side by side radiants lumped together. This
was shown in Neil Bone's book. Rainer was somewhat puzzled by this and said he
will look it up when he gets back home. The 4 side by side Orionid radiants
might be radiants that were determined by Prentice some years ago by plotting
and not necessarily 4 actual different radiants, but 1 as determined by
photographs. I also asked him about any more radiants that were determined by
photographic means that I don't have and he said he will check and let me know
when he gets back to Germany. He also hinted that he might have to write up an
article for WGN explaining the radiant confusion. I showed him my IMO calendar
for 1998 and 1999 and confirmed that the listing of the radiants for the
showers that were highlighted should have been removed and that this was an
oversight. Hopefully in the year 2000 calendars they will all be gone? He said
the diameters as shown have no meaning for meteor work. So brace and prepare
yourself for the eventual change if you haven't accepted it already? 

Well...that was about the jest of the 1998 mini-IMC in San Diego, Calif. He
took off this morning after a continental breakfast and some fruit in a
northward direction. His destination for today is Yosemite National Park.
Being a frequent visitor of that park, we gave him numerous tips that may help
make his trip their relatively efficient for the little time he has left to
visit. He plans on being back in Berkeley sometime late tomorrow. After
that....I don't know....but most likely be heading back home in a few days? 
George Zay
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