[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) high rates
The enternal conflict in science is to remove the
human element from the data.
Whether it be an observational bias or the sheer
emotion of seeing meteors at a rate that overwhelms the senses.
When a meteor shower becomes a storm and meteors
are coming in at multiples per second, the estimations will vary greatly among
observers at the same site.
I think the only cure would be to have such rates
become a common experience so that the emotional plane would not reach quite so
high.
I missed the '66 storm from south texas for
contractual reasons (a long night of study to pass a calculus exam and thus
remain exempt from the draft).
But those in my group who returned to the dorm that
morning were so animated that they woke the entire second floor. Two of the
quotes I recall.... query: Were there any fireballs?
"Fireballs!! There were blueballs redballs....there
were so many we couldnt even count! There had to be 100 a second at
times." and "You could feel the Earth travelling through
space as they streamed by."
So, I'm not sure we could be objectional enough
even if we tried.
Tom