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(meteorobs) Re: Leo 2001 coverage in S&T 3/2002
I beg everyone's pardon, but I'm still not getting something
about the fine points of ZHR calculation as it seems to be
presented by our experts. Let's say that Observer A on that
mountain in Arizona counted 1500 Leonids in the hour 10:30
to 11:30 Nov 18 2001 UTC. Can I assume that in the final
analysis the ZHR must be at least 1958 (the raw hourly rate
divided by the sine of 50 degrees, which is about where the
radiant was, more or less)? If not, why not? If an
experienced observer counted 1500 Leonids during 1 hour
Teff, how could the ZHR possibly be less than about 1958?
Wouldn't the actual highest count done by an experienced
observer set a minimum limit on the actual ZHR -- wouldn't
it have to be at least the number that observer counted
(divided by the sine of the angle of the radiant above the
horizon)?
Lower counts can't set a minimum on the ZHR. The fact that
Observer B might have perceived only 500 Leonids during the
same hour from the same location must be considered, but it
still seems to me that the higher actual count must set a
minimum constraint on the actual ZHR.
All of that to say that I find it very difficult to accept
that, if *seven* experienced observers, counting indendently
at the same location, counted an average raw rate of 1900
meteors per hour during that hour (10:30-11:30 UTC), the
ZHR can be anything less than 1900/.766 = 2480.
Different topic: Does anyone have any insights into the
"bright green ... burnouts" (fireballs, I believe, that
apparently occurred over a few nights) mentioned in the
message at the following location on SeeSat-L? (I think
that most of the flashes could have been satellites, but
not bright green fireballs.) The observer was at the
north end of the north island of New Zealand.
http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Feb-2002/0038.html
FWIW, I've put a little "My Meteor Resume" online, which
just briefly describes my very humble meteor shower
observing experiences to date.
http://wwwvms.utexasdot edu/~ecannon/my-meteor-resume.htm
Clear, dark nights with many meteors --
Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexasdot edu - Austin, Texas, USA
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