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Re: (meteorobs) Non-shower period
Well, Sigrid, perhaps the best way to ensure that there are very few shower
meteors is to calibrate your radar counts with my visual counts... That is,
assuming you are observing from the MIT Haystack Observatory - which is where I
do much of my amateur visual meteor observing! :)
If you are working at one of the other radar facilities nearby in New England,
the calibration will most likely work just as well there, too. Let me know if
this is of interest! I'd be more than happy to share my visual data with your
team, and even coordinate observing programs with you if weather cooperates.
I'll send you my contact information in a separate, private email.
Otherwise, I can recommend several sources for specific information on shower
rates: two sources are associated with the International Meteor Organization,
one is the American Meteor Society, and one is a local radio amateur...
The first is the IMO Meteor Shower Calendar: this is updated annually, and has
high-precision solar longitudes and IMO-style ZHRs for all the well-established
visual showers. IMO also publishes raw counts and ZHRs for each major shower as
it passes - it may be better for you to calibrate sporadic radar data after the
fact, based on actual observations of showers, rather than just predictions.
http://www.imodot net
And the calendar for 1999 is at:
http://www.imodot net/calendar/cal99.html
Second, I highly recommend contacting Malcolm Currie, Telescopic Observing
Coordinator for the IMO at 'mjc@jach.hawaiidot edu'. Telescopic counts will have
the distinct advantage that they detect meteors nearly as faint as professional
radar facilities do. However, there is often far less data - due both to far
fewer observers and far smaller fields of view - than with visual counts.
Third, Jim Richardson is the Radio Meteor Project Coordinator (and Operations
Manager) for the AMS: he may be able to provide you with data from amateur radio
or even other professional radar facilities, including analyses showing probable
shower contributions and known active radiants, from around the U.S.
Last but not least, Steve Harrison - ko0u@os.com - is an amateur radiometeorist
and ham operator located in Shrewsbury, who may be able to help.
All of the people mentioned above are subscribers to this 'meteorobs' list!
Clear skies, and keep in touch!
Lew Gramer
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