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Re: (meteorobs) Two question regarding meteor rates?

> Is the seasonal variation, in the sporadic meteor-rate, thought to be
> related to a real variation in none-shower meteoroid distribution along
> the Earth's orbit? Or is it simply an extension of the same mechanism
> that causes the diurnal variation - extended to include the Earth's
> tilt?

The latter. See P. Jenniskens: Meteor stream activity I. The annual streams.
Astron Astroph. 287 (1994), 990-1013


>
> Over the limited number of years that I've been taking an active
> interest in meteor activity, there appears to be a glut of fireball
> reports from mid March through to early April. Is this a recognised
> characteristic, or is it my imagination? I would have suspected that
> increased reporting  may simply be related more people being out and
> about during darkness, at this time of year. But, my perception is that
> reports of meteorite falls, and resulting damage, also seem to be up at
> the same time.

The latter is incorrect: meteorite falls show a smooth peak in late
May-early June.

With regard to fireball reports showing a peak in March to early April: I do
not know whether statistics really point this out. In fact, if I look at the
published MORP data (Halliday et al., Met. & Plan. Science 31 (1996),
185-217) there is no such peak apparent.
But at one time the "April bolides" were a hype, and indeed lead to
incraesed observational activity, which lead to incraesing numbers of
reports for that period.

- Marco

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Marco Langbroek
Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)
Leiden, the Netherlands
52.15896 N, 4.48884 E (WGS 84)

e-mail: meteorites@dmsweb.org
DMS website: http://www.dmsweb.org
priv. website: http://home.wanadoodot nl/marco.langbroek
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