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Re: (meteorobs) Wavy Orionid - Wavy Meteors
Stop Light Pollution! wrote:
>
> I was out observing with my 12x63 binoculars Sunday morning looking for
> Comet Linear (J3). While sweeping up to look at the Hyades, I saw a fine meteor
> that looked to be a 2nd or 3rd magnitude Orionid (I only saw the end of it).
> This was not unusual, but the train looked wavy. I have heard that some meteors
> are wavy, but I was wondering if wavy trails for meteors are more common with
> telescopic meteors than naked-eye ones?
I have a picture of a meteor with "wavy-trail" at
http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/C_mcn-r_meteor_sho.jpg
It is an enlargement from the original 35mm neg (Comet
McNaught-Russell):
http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/C_mcn-r_sho.jpg
(both images are at http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/meteor.html)
It was taken with a 300mm Schmidt-Camera (~6X, approx FOV for 7x50
binoculars) on fine-grained TP2415 film. I agree with your visual
observation.
Someone just got a meteor photo with a 1040mm lens (5" aperture, f8) on
120 film:
http://www.psln.com/dickman/m33meteor.htm
It was on color film (not as fine grained as TP), & looks "straight".
But I get the feeling it also has a wavy-trail.
Since we're on this subject of meteor trails. I need a technical
explanation of the dynamics of meteor trails:
- why color film records fireballs as green (initial & midway of trail)
& red (end of trail). I read somewhere that green is the result of
ionization of the surrounding air (an oxygen emission line?) Red is
caused by some phenomena related to ablation. ?? What is the
explanation of the aqua-marine color for
http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/leonids98/6x7/debris_165mm_sho.jpg
(index at http://www.comet-track.com/meteor/leonids98/6x7/6x7.html)
- why the trail starts thin, then gradually gets thicker, then thins
out.
- why the above bolide has 2 debris-trails, one at the end & one in the
middle of the trail
>
> GWG
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