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(meteorobs) Re: AKM video observations 12/99

Hello Cary,

> First,  is my understanding of your metrec software correct in the fact
> that is is simply a raw counting device and it provides no other data on
> the meteor event other than it happened?  Also, it floats around in my
> head that the limiting magnitude detection is somewhere around mag 1 or
> so - is this correct? 

sorry, but both assumptions are incorrect. :-)

MetRec was first designed to be a pure meteor detection software. However,
between 1998 and 1999 the software underwent major improvements. By now
MetRec determines the x/y corrdinates of each meteor in each video frame,
converts that to right ascension/declination, and computes the mean meteor
path and the velocity from the individual positions. Then the IMO standard
criteria for visual observers are applied to these data to do the shower
assignment. In addition, the brightness is computed in each frame and the
maximum meteor brightness as weel as additional data (i.e. time of
appearance, duration) is stored in a database. That is, our video data
contain essentially all information a visual observer would get from
meteor plottings (expect special features like color or persistent
trains), but are much more accurate.
In my monthly listing I don't give numbers for indivual meteor showers
since that would make the tables too large. Currently I'm collecting and
compiling all AKM video data from 1999, which will be available on CD Rom
at the end. Then everybody willing to investigate a certain meteor shower
may use the data and have a closer look at the data.

Secondly, our meteor cameras are image-intensified. The limiting magnitude
depends on the lens that is used, but it varies usually between 5 an 7 mag
(see the first table with the camera descriptions).

> If my assumption is correct, what is the justification for such under
> utilization of such expensive and complex hardware?
> What is the value in a raw count without the meteors tied to a specific
> shower or region of the sky?

I hope these questions are answered now. :-)

> Have you considered two station observing so that orbits may be
> calculated?

Yes, this is something which will be considered in the future, but that
requires an extra software package for orbit calculations.

Best regards,
Sirko Molau

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*  Dipl.-Inform. Sirko Molau                  *                          *
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