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
1. Summer Brings the Aquarids...
2. Other July Activity...
3. International Meteor Observer Gathering...
4. Upcoming Meetings...
5. For more info...
Welcome to summer! Now is the time of year to get to know the constellation of Aquarius, as much of our summer meteor activity comes in the form of Aquarid meteors.
For July, we have the northern and southern delta Aquarids, and the southern iota Aquarids.
The southern delta Aquarids (SDA) reach a maximum on July 28th with a radiant at 339 degrees, ie. RA 22h 36m, Dec -16, which is about 5 degrees to the right of the star delta Aquarius. These are average velocity meteors at about 41 km/sec, and can be seen from about July 12th to August 19th. At the peak on the 28th, ZHR rates are about 20 meteors per hour. The IMO (International Meteor Organization) notes however that "observers should be alert to the fact that SDA... rates may be near their best beyond the single-date maxima listed." They also mention that "radio work can be used to pick up the SDA... and indeed the shower can sometimes give a surprisingly strong radio signature."
What is ZHR? This is Zenithal Hourly Rate and is the number of meteors on average, that an observer would expect to see in an hour if the radiant, the area in the sky where the meteors seem to come from, is directly overhead - and if an observer is out under dark country skies. If the radiant is not overhead, you will see less. If your sky is not really dark, you will see less. So - to see as many meteors as possible, get away from city lights and try to observe when the shower radiant is higher in the sky.
The southern iota Aquarids (SIA) reach a peak on August 4th, but can be seen from about July 25th to August 15th. These are slower than the delta's, with a velocity of about 34 km/sec, but still classed as average velocity. At maximum on August 4th, their ZHR will be about 2 meteors per hour. Rates in July will be less.
The northern delta Aquarids (NDA) reach a peak on August 8th but can also be seen starting in July as they run from about July 15th to August 25th. These are average velocity meteors at 42 km/sec, very similar to the southern delta's. At their peak on August 8th, they will reach a ZHR of about 4 meteors per hour but rates in July will be lower.
The International Meteor Organization has maps showing all these radiants at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2006/summer. There is also a simple method of keeping track of these Aquarid radiants, and the northern iota Aquarids that are coming in August. The 4 Aquarid radiants form a rough parallelogram shape in the sky - and that is very useful for keeping track of them.
We recommend that you print yourself off some of the NAMN star charts to mark these showers on ahead of time, before you go out observing. Set your printer to landscape mode, and grab the 4 star charts from http://www.namnmeteors.org/charts.html. They show constellations, RA and Dec (our grid lines in the sky), and give the brightness of a number of stars to use in judging the magnitude of the meteors you see.
If you want to record valuable data for the meteor researchers, check out the NAMN Observing Guide for information on what to record. Our Guide can be found at http://www.namnmeteors.org/guide.html. We record such info as the time a 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. If you have any questions, drop a note to the NAMN Coordinator at meteors@comcast.net
Forms to record your observations can be found at http://www.namnmeteors.org/namn_form.html and http://www.namnmeteors.org/appendixC.html
For those of you interested in plotting your meteors (recommended for serious observations), special IMO plotting maps can be ordered through Robert Lunsford of the International Meteor Organization. For details, contact him directly at lunro.imo.usa@cox.net
For July the Aquarids are the primary activity. However, there are a number of other meteor shower radiants active. These deserve your attention as well and observations are encouraged.
Always remember that even on nights where meteor activity is very low observations from around the globe are very valuable. On any particular night, especially away from major shower dates, you could be the only meteor observer on the planet actually gathering meteor data for the researchers. It could be just you. Your observations could be the only ones available for checking out unusual meteor activity. The meteor community needs - you.
So, what do we have in the way of other activity for July?
The Sagittarids (SAG) started to become active about April 15th, and will last through until about July 15th. These are almost slow meteors at about 30 km per second. ZHR rates are about 5 meteors per hour - and fireballs are possible. Coordinates for July are as follows:
July 5 289 -22 ie. RA 19h 16.2m Dec -22 July 10 293 -22 ie. RA 19h 31.8m Dec -22 July 15 298 -21 ie. RA 19h 52.2m Dec -21
The June Bootids (JBO), although peaking in late June are visible until about July 2nd. These are slow meteors with a velocity of about 18 km/sec. ZHR rates are variable. A map showing the radiant is available at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2006/spring
The Pegasids (JPE) reach a maximum about July 9th but can be seen from about July 7th to 13th. These are fast meteors with a velocity of about 70 km/sec. The radiant at maximum will be at 340 degrees, ie. RA 22h 40.2m, Dec +15, which is about 4 degrees north of the star zeta Pegasus. ZHR rates at max are about 3 meteors per hour. A map of the radiant can be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2005/summer. According to the IMO, "swift, faint meteors can be expected, favoring telescopic observing."
The July Phoenicids (PHE) reach a maximum about July 13th and can be seen from about July 10th to 16th. These are average velocity meteors at about 47 km/sec. The radiant at maximum will be at 032 degrees, ie. RA 2h 7.8m, Dec -48, which is about 27 degrees due south of the star upsilon Cetus, the left foot of Cetus. This shower is better observed by southern observers. ZHR rates are variable, about 3-10 meteors per hour. For a map, check out http://www.imo.net/calendar/2005/summer
The Pisces Austrinids (PAU) peak about July 28th but can be seen from about July 15th to August 10th. These are average velocity meteors at about 35 km/sec. The radiant at the peak will be at 341 degrees, ie. RA 22h 43.8m, Dec -30, which is about 3 degrees to the right of alpha Pisces Austrinus, the star known as Fomalhaut. ZHR rates are about 5 meteors per hour at maximum. For a map showing the movement of the radiant, check out http://www.imo.net/calendar/2006/summerThe alpha Capricornids (CAP) peak about July 30 and range from about July 3rd to August 15th. These are wonderful, slow meteors, with a velocity of about 23 km/sec. On July 30th, at maximum, the radiant will be at 307 degrees, ie. RA 20h 28.2m, Dec -10, which is about 3 degrees up to the left of the star alpha Capricornus, the top right star of the triangle of Capricornus. ZHR rates at the peak are about 4 meteors per hour. For movement of the radiant, check out the map on the IMO website at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2006/summer. According to the IMO in their 2006 Meteor Shower Calendar, the alpha-Capricornids "are noted for their bright - at times fireball-class - events, which, combined with their low apparent velocity, can make some of these objects among the most impressive and attractive an observer could wish for."
Lastly, although observers tend to think of Perseids (PER) as an August shower, they start to become active about July 17th. They run through until about August 24th, with a peak around August 12th. These are fast meteors with a velocity of about 59 km/sec. ZHR rates around August 12th will be about 100 meteors per hour. Rates in July will be much lower. This shower lasts a long time - and the radiant moves quite a distance across the sky, a little bit each night. Check out this movement on the IMO chart at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2005/summer
For other minor showers not on the International Meteor Organization, 'Working List of Visual Meteor Showers', and for a wealth of historical information on all showers, check out Gary Kronk's 'Comets and Meteor Showers' website at http://comets.amsmeteors.org
Besides July's main activity and other minor showers, there is also sporadic meteor activity. This sporadic meteor activity is about 7 meteors per hour, visible to the unaided eye. Some of these are random, and some belong to old untraceable meteor showers.
Planets at midmonth, and their magnitudes, for northern observers, are:
Venus -3.8 very low in east-northeast in morning twilight Jupiter -2.2 in Libra Mars 1.8 in Leo, low in west in evening twilight
The phases of the moon for July are as follows:
Mon. July 3 first quarter Tues. July 11 full moon Mon. July 17 last quarter Tues. July 25 new moon
For phases of the moon a wonderful monthly moon calendar can be printed off from http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon. For the NASA kids' calendar for July, go to http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/calendar.shtml
One of the simplest sky charts can be found on the website 'Heavens Above' at http://www.heavens-above.com. Ignore the "Register" bit. Just "Select" your country, then your city, and then scroll down the page to "Whole Sky Chart". Type in what day you want, and pick a time of night. Pick black on white as it's easier to read. The maps show the constellations and the positions of all the visible planets.
Time is fast approaching for the international meteor observer gathering in mid-September. With only a couple months to go this is a reminder that it's a great event - and lots of fun!
It's called the IMC which stands for "International Meteor Conference", and it's the annual get-together for meteor observers around the globe, organized by the IMO.
What is an IMC? It's camaraderie, and talks about meteor observing by us amateurs, and talks by professional meteor researchers interested in amateur cooperation. There is always an excursion to some interesting astronomically related place, and the evenings are all fun-filled casual discussions. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet great people from many different countries - all ages, all interests - with the common factor being love of meteors.
The dates this year are September 14th to 17th, and the place is The Netherlands, near a town called Roden. The fee is 130 Euros after July 1 - and that includes the conference, all your meals, your accommodations, the excursion, and a t-shirt! The IMC is not only lots of fun - but it's a great value for the cost.
The website for the gathering is at http://www.imo.net/imc2006. For those technical people among us, there are a couple special workshops being held prior to the general conference, with details on the website - a Radio Meteor School, and a Meteor Orbit Workshop.
Who's coming so far? The list of participants can be found at http://www.imo.net/imc2006/participants.php. The list changes every couple days as new people register, and as the website is updated.
Accommodation will be at a "youth accommodation", details at http://www.imo.net/imc2006/accommodation.php. It sounds like great fun - sleep or no sleep!
The excursion will be to the Lofar (Low Frequency Array) - the world's largest radio telescope, under construction. When finished, it will have 25,000 antennas across Holland and Germany. It will observe electromagnetic radiation from 10 to 250 MHz and will be able to observe signals from the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang.
What's in that area of Holland, as many of us North Americans often call it? Take a look at the map at http://www.imo.net/imc2006/country.php. A search of Roden and Holland on the net turned up some interesting things... such as Roden's search for Georgia tektites (a very different Roden!) at http://www.gly.uga.edu/mroden/roden.html. But interesting none the less!
Information on the nearest major city, Groningen, can be found at http://www.planetware.com/netherlands/groningen-nl-g-gron.htm A great photo gallery of all of Holland can be found at http://www.planetware.com/pictures/netherlands-nl.htm
Do you need a visa to get into Holland? Most of us in major countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, etc.) do not, but check out the link on the conference page at http://www.imo.net/imc2006/country.php
The online registration form can be found at http://www.imo.net/imc2006/registration.php
Give it serious thought! This is a great opportunity to meet meteor observers from around the globe and take in an interesting vacation while you're there!
July 10-14, 2006, Singapore...
The AOGS, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, will hold its 3rd Annual Meeting
in Singapore. Jeremie Vaubaillon has advised us that there will be a
special session on the field of meteor science. Topics covered at the
conference are quite varied - invited speakers include G. Consolmagno of the
Vatican Observatory on 'Evidence from Meteorites', Cheng Fang of Nanjing
University on 'Spectroscopic Approaches to Solar Flares: A Review', Paul
Jones of the Australia Telescope National Facility on 'Radio Observations
from Australia of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 for Deep Impact', and Dave Anderson of
NOAA on 'Solar Activity and Indian Monsoons'. The deadline for abstract
submission is February 15th. The deadline for reduced fees for registration
is May 15th. For information, check out the website at
http://www.asiaoceania-conference.org and contact
info@asiaoceania-conference.org
September 14-17, 2006, Roden, The Netherlands...
The IMC, the International Meteor Conference of the International
Meteor Organization, will be held near Roden in the Netherlands. This is
the annual get-together for both amateur meteor observers and professional
researchers alike. Talks will cover all types of meteor observing - visual,
telescopic, photographic, video, and radio. The registration fee is 120
Euros, and includes the conference, all meals, all accommodation, an
excursion, and a conference t-shirt. Special workshops will be held on
meteor orbit determination and radio meteors from September 11th to 13th,
with a separate fee. Mark Holland on your calendar for September! For more
info, check out http://www.imo.net/imc2006
For information on upcoming astronomy meetings, see: "International Astronomy Meetings List" at http://cadcwww.hia.nrc.ca/meetings
NAMN email: namn@namnmeteors.org
NAMN website: http://www.namnmeteors.org
Mark Davis, meteors@comcast.net
Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA
Coordinator, North American Meteor Network
Cathy Hall, chall@cyberus.ca
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Writer, NAMN Notes
Lew Gramer, dedalus@alum.mit.edu
Homestead, Florida, USA
Coordinator, Public Outreach
Owner/Moderator, 'MeteorObs'
Kevin Kilkenny,
namnfireball@earthlink.net
Staten Island, New York, USA
Coordinator, Fireballs and Meteorites
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Contact Lew Gramer at:
dedalus@alum.mit.edu