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Re: (meteorobs) Questions Concerning the Degrees of Meteor Paths
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Fox" <unclefireballmtf@yahoo.com>
Subject: (meteorobs) Questions Concerning the Degrees of Meteor Paths
> Does anybody know of more such examples of degrees in
> the night sky to compare with meteor path lengths?
Mark:
Please call me Ed. I don't think we have to use formal addresses on
meteorobs.
The Field Book of the Skies by Olcott and Putman (1929), gives these
distances.
The Pointer stars, alpha and Beta Ursa Majoris are 5 degrees apart
alpha Majoris to Polaris is 28 3/4 degrees distant
alpha to delta Ursa Majoris is 10 degrees
The full moon of course is around 1/2 degree
Back in the 1950's we use to plot meteor paths on stereographic
projection charts provided by the meteor group of the Dominion Observatory
in Ottawa Canada. This was probably not all that accurate unless one was
very familiar with star fields and patterns. I haven't seen these charts
for years. I'm not sure how popular meteor plotting is these days or what
charts are used. Perhaps some of the current experienced visual meteor
observers can comment on this. I suppose one could construct a wire grid
and use it to view through to provide more accurate estimates of path
lengths. Photographic and video methods are much more accurate than what a
visual observer can estimate so I'm not sure how important this is today.
Ed Majden
Courtenay, B.C.
Canada
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