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(meteorobs) Re: more perception
Under the same method mentioned by Bob,
>In recent IMO studies of perception I have been right in the middle with
>a perception near 1.0 It has been stated that the IMO has a bunch of
>people with high perceptions but this seems rather unlikely as there has
>been constant turnover as occurs with all groups.
I rate a dismal 0.4, which on the surface should invoke bewilderment at why
I continue meteor observing at all. After some thought I figured out that
LM corrections are causing the problem. My better-than-standard sky at
LM7.3 is levying a heavy penalty. Outside the U.S. the correcting system
lowers rates by a stiff 30% or so per half-magnitude loss in LM. (I am
personally showing a loss of only half that when comparing rates under
differing LM's.) So by correcting my observed rate downward to LM6.5 with
these strong factors, my perception then appears to be very low. If I were
observing in LM6.5 much of the time, then I would be much closer to average
under this method.
I originally thought that an excessive number of high perception people are
around but need to partially take that back. There still are more today
than at most times in the past, however. The AMS had only one in all of the
1960's, Conger in 1967-68, but what a doozy -- Olivier (AMS founder) didn't
know what to make of him, racking up 8000 meteors each of two years from
semi-cloudy West Virginia. Conger could see 20-30/hr with ease even during
early evening hours with no major shower present. Gates did not come along
until 1970.
One rare example of where I came up with a higher ZHR than is being carried
in meteor literature is the 1982 Lyrids. I had a sky LM6.5 that morning,
Apr 22, with a peak between 146 and 151 AM EST (646 - 651 UT) when 18
Lyrids were recorded. Latitude 26.5N, longitude 81.5W. Mark Adams
calculated a ZHR 250 based on this data. If my overseas perception of 0.4
is then applied to make a completely derived ZHR, we get 250 / 0.4 or ZHR
625 ! Oops. Is that really possible??
Norman
Norman W. McLeod III
Asst Visual Program Coordinator
American Meteor Society
Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com
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