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Re: (meteorobs) Coma Berenicid Meteors Seen!
Back in the 1970s there was talk of a meteorite-dropping swarm that
intersected the Earth's orbit during the second half of April. In fact, here
is an exerpt from the 1991 edition of Guy Ottewell's Astronomical Calendar:
"April Fireballs," Apr. 15-30, an annual sparse irregular shower of bright
meteors some of which reach Earth as meteorites."
Also in the September 1970 S&T, in the News Notes section, page 138, there is
an item concerning "April Meteorite Coincidences." The notation speaks of
the similarity between the calculated orbits of a shadow-casting fireball
that passed over northern New Jersey on April 23, 1962 and a bolide which
dropped meteorites over England, Wales and northern Ireland on April 25, 1969.
The late Charles P. Olivier provided a preliminary orbit for the 1962
fireball based on 80 observations, finding a radiant at RA 183-degrees (12hrs
12min), declination -26-degrees. For the 1969 bolide, British workers used a
computer at the University of Liverpool to analyze over 300 sightings and
found a radiant point at RA 186-degrees (12hrs 24 min.), declination
-31-degrees. Two sets of orbital elements were later computed and were found
to be "remarkably similar, differing by less than their uncertainties."
Lastly . . . in the June 1970 Journal of the British Astronomical Asociation,
Keith B. Hindley and Howard G. Miles suggested that: "The period April 23-26
should be covered in the future by amateur and professional groups in the
hope of recording further associated fireballs and perhaps meteorite falls."
I wonder if there might be any relationship between these cases and the Coma
Berenicid meteors from early April?
-- joe rao
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