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(meteorobs) NAMN Notes: March 2004

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NAMN Notes:  March 2004
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Introduction:
NAMN Notes is a monthly newsletter produced by the North American Meteor
Network, and is available both via email and on the NAMN website at:
http://www.namnmeteors.org


Contents:

1. The Meteors of March...
2. Time for a Planet Watch!...
3. Fireball Update...
4. Upcoming Meetings...
5. For more info...


1. The Meteors of March...

The month of March is a quiet one for visual meteor observers - but a good
opportunity to enjoy the winter constellations before we move into spring.

The delta Leonids (DLE), although having reached a peak in late February,
can still be seen until about March 10th. These are slow meteors with a
velocity of about 23 km per second. ZHR rates at maximum were about 2
meteors per hour, and rates in March will be lower. ZHR refers to Zenithal
Hourly Rate and is the number of meteors that an observer would expect to
see on average, every hour, with the unaided eye, if they were out
under a dark country sky, and if the radiant, the area in the sky where the
meteors seem to come from, is directly overhead. A map showing the radiant
positions in March can be found at
http://www.imodot net/calendar/cal04.html#delta-Leonids. According to the
International Meteor Organization (IMO) this meteor shower is probably
associated with an asteroid, (4450) Pan.

The gamma Normids (GNO) reach a maximum on March 13th with a radiant at 249
degrees, ie RA 16h 36m, Dec -51, which is about 24 degrees due south of the
bright star Antares in Scorpius. These are fast meteors, with a velocity of
about 56 km per second. The ZHR rate at maximum is about 8 meteors per
hour. These meteors can be seen until about March 22nd. A map showing the
movement of the radiant throughout the month can be found at
http://www.imodot net/calendar/cal02.html#gamma-Normids According to the IMO,
"recent results imply a later peak around March 17 may occur now... the
shower's details are most uncertain, with ZHR's virtually undetectable more
than a day or two away from the peak, whenever - or even if - it happens."
Observations are encouraged to try to gain a better knowledge of this
shower!

The Virginids (VIR) continue throughout March, and last until about April
15th. These are almost slow meteors, at about 30 km per second. ZHR rates
are about 5 meteors per hour. Positions of the radiant throughout the month
are as follows:
Feb. 28  178 +3   ie. RA 11h 52.2m  Dec +3
Mar. 10  186 +0   ie. RA 12h 24m  Dec +0
Mar. 20  192 -3   ie. RA 12h 48m  Dec -3
Mar. 30  198 -5   ie. RA 13h 12m  Dec -5
These are from Table 6 of the 2004 Meteor Shower Calendar of the IMO. The
Calendar is very useful - print yourself off a copy from
http://www.imodot net/calendar/cal04.html.

A set of 4 star maps that you can use while observing - to mark radiants
on, and with magnitudes of standard stars marked - can be printed off from
our website at http://www.namnmeteors.org/charts.html. These maps show sky
coordinates both in hours and minutes (like normal star maps) and in the
degree system (like the IMO coordinates given here for the Virginids) - so
it is easy to locate where the meteor radiants are!

For observers interested in recording data on these showers for the meteor
researchers, take a look at our NAMN Observing Guide at
http://www.namnmeteors.org/guide.html. The information to record while
observing includes such items as the time the meteor occurred, its
magnitude
(brightness), the shower it belongs to, its speed, and other comments such
as train left behind, or color. General information to record includes such
things as how dark your perceived sky is (limiting magnitude), and comments
on weather and cloud cover. Forms to record your observations can be found
at http://www.namnmeteors.org/namn_form.html and
http://www.namnmeteors.org/appendixC.html. Questions on what to record, or
how, can be sent to our NAMN Coordinator at meteors@comcastdot net.

Besides recognized main showers and other minor showers, there is also
sporadic meteor activity in March. This sporadic activity is about 7
meteors per hour visible to the unaided eye. This activity is comprised
partly of random meteors and partly of meteors that belong to long-ago, now
untraceable showers. For information on minor showers, check out Gary
Kronk's 'Comets and Meteor Showers' website at http://comets.amsmeteors.org


2. Time for a Planet Watch!...

This March all observers are in for a real treat! The sky is full of
planets right now - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn all with the
unaided eye.

According to the Observer's Handbook 2004 (by the Royal Astronomical
Society
of Canada, http://www.rascdot ca): "All five naked-eye planets (and the Moon)
are visible by northern observers in the evening sky for approximately two
weeks commencing Mar. 22." To see where all the various planets are in the
sky, go to http://www.heavens-above.com, 'Select' your location, then go to
'Whole Sky Chart'. To print yourself off some sky maps for various dates,
change to black on white first. If you have a telescope, get out in March
and enjoy some great planetary viewing. For meteor observing, the planets
are very good standards for estimating the magnitude of the bright meteors
you see!

Planets at midmonth, and their magnitudes, for northern observers, are:
Venus    -4.3  low in west in evening sky
Jupiter  -2.5  in Leo
Mercury  -1.5  very low in west in evening sky
Saturn    0.0  in Gemini
Mars      1.2  in Aries/Taurus

There will also be some interesting planetary configurations in the March
sky:
- Mar. 6  - Jupiter 3 degrees south of full moon
- Mar. 24 - Venus 2 degrees north of crescent moon
- Mar. 26 - Mars 0.8 degrees south of crescent moon (with occultation
visible in the northern parts of Japan, Russia, Scandinavia, British Isles,
Greenland, Canada and Alaska)

This month, the phases of the moon are as follows:
Sat. Mar. 6    full moon
Sat. Mar. 13   last quarter
Sat. Mar. 20   new moon
Sun. Mar. 28   first quarter

For some great reading on the planets, check out the website called The
Nine
Planets, by Bill Arnett, at http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp.

If you are new to meteor observing, and still learning your constellations,
check out the website of the Hawaiian Astronomical Society for all kinds of
constellation maps and information on the myths behind each constellation:
http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky.

March means spring! Get out, get back into meteor observing, and enjoy some
great skies wherever you are!


3. Fireball Update...

Our Fireball Coordinator, Kevin Kilkenny, has provided details on the
fireballs reported for the past several months. This information is
collected by NAMN, and then also forwarded to other organizations as well
which have an interest in fireballs or possible meteorite falls.

In the following table, speed of the fireball refers to the NAMN scale:
1 - very slow
2 - slow
3 - average
4 - fast
5 - very fast

Time is local time.  Mag means magnitude, the brightness of the fireball.
Direction is compass direction in terms of from/to.

Date       Place                         Time   Mag  Direction  Speed

1.01.04  San Marcos, CA                  8.45P   -4    SE/SE      5
1.01.04  Americus, GA                    8.30P   -6    NE/NE      3
1.03.04  Chico, CA                       5.10P   -7    SE/S       3
1.03.04  San Bernardino, CA             12.00P   -8    unknown    2
        *suspect space debris
1.03.04  Fernley, NV                     5.10P   -3    N/S        4
1.07.04  Robbinsville,NJ                 4.00P  -11    SE/SE     2.5
1.10.04  Scandia, KS                     5.50A   -8    ESE/ESE    2
1.11.04  Round Rock, TX                 10.30P   -6    E/ENE      4
1.14.04  Golden, CO                      2.01A   -4    SW/NE      4
1.14.04  Dayton, NV                      2.36A   -4    E/E       2.5
1.17.04  Alexandria, Egypt               2.16A   -3    NW/E       2
1.20.04  Ternat, Belgium                 6.30A   -3    S/E        4
        *local radio 12 other reports
1.21.04  La Mesa, CA                     6.20P  -10    N/S        1
        * suspect space debris
2.02.04  Harrison, NY                    1.33A   -3   ENE/ENE     3
2.03.04  Los Angeles, CA                11.05P   -4   SE/SE       4
2.04.04  Fort Collins, CO                1.54A  -11   N/NE        2
2.08.04  Midlothian, VA                 12.45A   -4   NW/SW       3

For information on what to record when a fireball is sighted, check out our
on-line fireball reporting forms:
Basic form: http://www.namnmeteors.org/fireball/report.html
Advanced form: http://www.namnmeteors.org/fireball/namnreport.html
For more comments on fireball reporting, check out our NAMN Observing
Guide's fireball chapter at http://www.namnmeteors.org/guidechap6.html


4. Upcoming Meetings...

June 4-6, 2004, Paris, France...
IWCA III, the Third International Workshop on Cometary Astronomy, will be
held at the Meudon and Paris Observatories in Paris, France.
The workshop announcement states that "its main objective is to promote
cometary observations among amateur astronomers and optimize the benefit of
these observations for the use by professional astronomers... it shall be
an opportunity for amateurs to meet professionals and exchange about their
techniques." Topics to be discussed include comet photometry, outgassing
rates, imaging with filters and spectroscopy, astrometry, observation of
trans-neptunians by amateurs, discovery and automatic sky surveys, space
missions to comets, and internet tools. Information can be found
at http://www2.iap.fr/saf/IWCAIII. The contact for information is
Nicholas Biver, nicolas.biver@obspm.fr. There is some financial support
available for participants from eastern Europe or other countries with
limited financial resources. The workshop has been timed to coincide with
the transit of Venus on June 8th, visible from France.

August 2-6, 2004, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
The 67th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society will be held in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, and hosted by the Brazilian Center for Physics Research.
Topics covered will include various meteorite studies, carbonaceous and
other types of chondrites, martian meteorites, micrometeorites and IDP's,
impact processes and structures, asteroids and comets, and early solar
system chronology. Special sessions will cover current missions and future
sample returns, presolar grains, and South American impact structures. The
abstract deadline for electronic submissions is April 21st. Post-conference
tours will include the Araguainha Crater and other sites of interest.
Student travel grants are available. For more information, contact the
Conference Chair, Rosa B. Scorzelli at metsoc2004@cbpf.br, and check out
the
website at http://www.lpi.usradot edu/meetings/metsoc2004/metsoc2004.2nd.html

August 16-21, 2004, London, Ontario, Canada...
Meteoroids 2004 will be held in eastern Canada, at the University of
Western
Ontario in London. Experimental and observational methods discussed will
include optical observations of meteors including ground-based visual,
photographic, video, and telescopic techniques, satellite observations of
meteors in various passbands, measurements of meteoric atoms in the
atmosphere by lidars and other techniques, acoustic measurements using
infrasound and seismic detection techniques, radio detection of meteors
including VLF and ELF, meteor and large aperture radar observations, and
observations, in-situ satellite and laboratory measurements of dust and
meteorite material. Scientific areas discussed will include such topics as
dynamics of sporadic, shower and interstellar meteoroids, physics and
chemistry of meteoroids and their interaction processes in the atmosphere,
fireball and bolide phenomenology, mineralogy of extraterrestrial
materials,
hypervelocity impacts on spacecraft, meteoroid models and flux, and
interrelation of meteoroids, meteorites, IDP's, asteroids and comets. To
receive further announcements directly on this, email
meteoroids2004@uwodot ca.
The website for the conference is at http://www.uwodot ca/meteoroids2004

September 23-26, 2004, Varna, Bulgaria...
The IMC, the International Meteor Conference of the International Meteor
Organization, is being held this year in Varna, Bulgaria. This is the
worldwide meeting for meteor observers - both amateurs and professionals
alike. It is a great opportunity to meet observers from around the globe
and learn about research and projects being carried out. Details will
be posted on the IMO website at http://www.imodot net

For more information on upcoming astronomy meetings, see: "International
Astronomy Meetings List" at http://cadcwww.hia.nrcdot ca/meetings


5. For more info...

NAMN email: namn@atmob.org
NAMN website: http://www.namnmeteors.org

Mark Davis, meteors@comcastdot net
Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA
Coordinator, North American Meteor Network

Cathy Hall, chall@cyberusdot ca
Metcalfe, Ontario, Canada
Writer, NAMN Notes

Lew Gramer, dedalus@alum.mitdot edu
Medford, Massachusetts, USA
Coordinator, Public Outreach
Owner/Moderator, 'MeteorObs'

Kevin Kilkenny, namnfireball@earthlinkdot net
Staten Island, New York, USA
Coordinator, Fireballs and Meteorites

Back issues of NAMN Notes can be found online at the NAMN website and in
the MeteorObs archives at:
http://www.meteorobs.org by selecting 'Browse Archive by Month'

To subscribe to the meteor email list:
Contact Lew Gramer at: dedalus@alum.mitdot edu

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Here's to 'Clear Skies' for March...

March 2004 NAMN Notes
written by Cathy Hall & edited by Mark Davis
==============================================


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