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Re: (meteorobs) QUADRANTID excerpt from "CCNet 7/2002 - 10 January 2002"



> Moreover, the data are structured: they show
> a number of interesting correlations between velocity and mass on the one
> hand, and radiant structure and orbital elements on the other hand.

My comment here is not meant to have any bearing on the age of the
Quadrantids or their progenitor, or the content of the original paper
that Marco refers to (which I have not read).  Just pointing out a tautology
in the above sentence.  A radiant (sky coordinates, speed, time and
location of the meteor in the atmosphere) is merely another way of
expressing an orbit.  It is identical to the three Cartesian heliocentric
coordinates and heliocentric velocity vector plus time or the more
familiar angular "orbital elements".  As the three are formally
equivalent, there must always be a formal and exact relationship between
radiant structure and orbital elements.  Saying the radiant is structured
means the orbital elements are structured.  I'd doubt that this pedantry
detracts in any way from the point Marco is making, but I suspect this is a
popular misconception.

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