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(meteorobs) Re: NWM Perseid 2001 colors

Here is a full treatment of my 2001 Perseid colors tallied color vs.
magnitude, and also total color vs magnitude.

color         -3   -2   -1    0   +1   +2
yellow        -      1    3    5     3     3
orange       1    -     1    2      -      -
blue            1    1    1    4     3     1
green          -    2     -     -      -      -
orange-yellow       -     2      -      -
white-yellow    1    -      -      -      -



Percent colored vs magnitude :

-3m, 2 out of 2, 100.%
-2m, 5 out of 5, 100.%
-1m, 5 out of 5, 100.%
0m, 13 out of 13, 100.%
1m, 6 out of 6, 100. %
2m, 4 out of 21, 19.0%
3m and fainter, 0 out of 22, 0.0%



Using only those Perseids of +1m or brighter, those above my color
threshhold, 31 Perseids total, my color percentages are thus :

yellow 38.7%
orange 12.9%
blue 32.3%
green 6.5%
orange-yellow 6.5%
white-yellow 3.2%


To include fainter meteors in the overall percentages would give a
meaningless result.  Below my threshhold for color, I cannot declare that
the meteors are  "white."  They are merely too faint for me to perceive
color.  Telescopic viewing would extend the colors to fainter regions, but
even there a threshhold will appear at some point.

Others have commented on unusual coloring for the 2001 Perseids -- I have to
agree.  The orange ones were among the most intensely colored meteors I have
ever seen.  I did very well on blue ones, much above my average there.  Some
of the blue ones were intense also.  (As I have gotten older my blue has
improved greatly.  In earlier days it was no stronger than star color. )
The appearance of a couple of green ones was also unusual -- normally these
are rare for me.

Four casual Perseids are included in the results.  Turns out both of the
green ones were casual, one seen to the front on the drive out.

In stark contrast to the living colors I was seeing, Joan didn't see any at
all.  Even the brightest Perseids were just white to her.  Yet she can see
colors in the brightest stars.



Bob said :

>I was also relieved to know that I was not the only one on earth seeing
>orange meteors that night!



Jure A said :

>Orange is usually the predominant color along with yellow, at least for
>the Perseids. This year, however, there seemed to be more blue Perseids
>than usual. I love those!

My dominant color is almost always yellow.  I agree with Jure on the blue
Perseids.



Gregg's results :

>52% were yellow
>36% white
>6% blue
>5% orange
>1% green

Bearing in mind the note about  "white"  above, Gregg has the same basic
colors but not much besides yellow.

I doubt if any two observers would have the same color percentages.  I am
still interested in seeing the results of others using just their meteors of
+1m and brighter.


Norman





Norman W. McLeod III
Staff Advisor
American Meteor Society

Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com

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