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. Meteor Activity for March...
2. Other March Sky Activity...
3. International Meteor Conference...
4. Upcoming Meetings...
5. For more info...
March is a fairly quiet month for meteor activity. However, it's a good time of year to look ahead and plan your meteor activities and projects for the coming months.
The gamma Normids (GNO) reach a peak about March 14th (or 17th) according to the International Meteor Organization (IMO). These are fast meteors, with a velocity of about 56 km per second. ZHR rates at maximum will be about 4 meteors per hour. With a radiant about 30 degrees south of the top of the 'J' of Scorpius, this is primarily a southern shower. A map showing the radiant can be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2005/winter
What is ZHR? ZHR refers to Zenithal Hourly Rate, and is the number of meteors that an observer would expect to see, on average, if they are 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.
The delta Leonids (DLE), although having peaked back on February 25th, can still be seen through 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, but rates in March will be lower. A map of the radiant can be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007. According to the IMO,this minor shower is probably linked to the Asteroid (4450) Pan.
The Antihelion Source (ANT), the ecliptical activity, produces a ZHR of about 3 meteors per hour, with an average velocity of about 30 km per second. A map showing the movement of the radiant throughout the month can be found at http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007
For other March minor showers not on the International Meteor Organization's '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. Kronk's website makes really interesting reading on both major and minor showers - if you haven't visited it lately, check it out.
Besides March'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.
If you want to record visual data for the meteor researchers, check out our 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
For visual observers, NAMN has a set of 4 star charts to help you judge the brightness (magnitude) of the meteors you see. They are also a great tool for new observers to help you learn your constellations better. The charts can be printed off from http://www.namnmeteors.org/charts.html. Set your printer to landscape mode.
Forms to record your observations can be found at
http://www.namnmeteors.org/namn_form.html and
http://www.namnmeteors.org/appendixC.html
For interesting photos and observations of planets and other astronomical activity, bookmark the website http://www.spaceweather.com on your computer. Every day it has up to date news, and amazing photos taken by amateurs all around the globe. Need to know what's going on right now in the sky? The SpaceWeather site is one of the best information sources available.
Planets at midmonth, and their magnitudes, for northern observers, are: Venus -3.8 in southwest in early evening sky Jupiter -2.1 in Ophiuchus Saturn 0.1 in Leo Mars 1.2 in Capricornus in morning twilight
The phases of the moon for March are as follows: Sat. Mar. 3 full moon Mon. Mar. 12 last quarter Mon. Mar. 19 new moon Sun. Mar. 25 first quarter
A very useful monthly moon calendar can be printed off from http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon
For kids (of all ages), NASA puts out a neat space calendar that you can print off each month. Check out http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/calendar.shtml
Need a constellation refresher? Check out the sky charts 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 and print off. The maps show the constellations and the positions of all the visible planets.
This year, the International Meteor Organization is holding its IMC (International Meteor Conference) in early June - in France. This is the worldwide gathering of meteor observers and researchers, both amateur and professional - in a casual setting that includes talks, camaraderie, and lots of informal discussion about meteors and types of astronomical observing. The conference starts on June 7th and runs until June 10th.
The location is Bareges, France, with accommodation at l'Hospitalet. Talks will be held at the nearby village cinema. For casual evening camaraderie, the IMC will have its own private bar at the 'Foyer' of l'Hospitalet, where observers can "chat until the early morning hours, enjoying a fine selection of French wines..." For extra relaxation, the famous thermal baths of Bareges are nearby.
There will be a special excursion to the Pic du Midi Observatory in the Pyrenees to visit the telescopes, the solar coronagraph, and the astronomy museum.
Prior to the IMC, there will be a Radio Meteor School from June 6th to 7th, with lectures on the physical and mathematical theory of radio meteor observations. Note that the Radio Meteor School is separate from the IMC, so check the website details at http://www.imo.net/imc2007/radioschool.php
What is the cost for the IMC? The registration fee is 120 Euros before May 1st and 130 Euros after. The fee includes the conference, all your accommodation, all your meals, the excursion to the Pic du Midi Observatory, and a conference t-shirt. There is financial assistance available in some situations - contact the organizers for details.
More information on the conference, the Bareges countryside in France, and the list of participants registered so far can be found on the IMC website at http://www.imo.net/imc2007. For any questions, contact Francois Colas or Jeremie Vaubaillon at imc2007@imo.net
Come to France in June to meet your fellow meteor observers!
June 7-10, 2007, Bareges, France...
The International Meteor Conference (IMC) of the IMO will be held in Bareges, France from June 7th to 10th. It is being organized jointly by the IMCCE, Institut de Mecanique Celeste et de Calcul des Ephemerides, the Paris Observatory, the Observatoire Midi-Pyrennees and AUDE, l'Association des Utilisateurs de Detecteurs Electroniques. This is a gathering for both amateur and professional meteor observers - and a wonderful opportunity to meet observers from all around the globe. Accommodation will be at l'Hospitalet, with talks at the nearby village cinema. The registration fee is 120 EUR before May 1st, 130 EUR after. The fee includes the conference, all your accommodation, all your meals, a special excursion to visit the Pic du Midi Observatory in the Pyrenees - and a conference t-shirt. For radio observers, there will be a Radio Meteor School just prior to the IMC conference. For more info, check out the conference website at http://www.imo.net/imc2007
June 11-15, 2007, Barcelona, Spain...
The Meteoroids 2007 conference will be held from June 11th to 15th at the
CosmoCaixa Museum in Barcelona, Spain, organized by the Institut d'Estudis
Espacials de Catalunya.
The preliminary scientific program includes the following sessions:
1. Observational techniques and meteor detection programs
2. Meteor showers' activity and forecasting
3. Orbits of meteoroids and dust
4. Meteoroids' interactions with atmospheres
5. Atmospheric effects induced by meteors
6. Astromineralogy: properties of meteoroids
7. Interrelationships: meteoroids - IDPs - dust - micrometeorites -
meteorites
8. Meteoroid flux and impact hazard
9. Meteor studies in astrobiology
Invited speakers include Diego Janches, Pavel Spurny, Douglas ReVelle, Peter Brown, Jeremie Vaubaillon, Junichi Watanabe, Peter Jenniskens, P.A. Wiegert, I. Williams, Olga Popova, Lars Dyrud, John Plane, Nick Mitchel, Frans J.M. Rietmeijer, Jiri Borovicka, George Flynn, Matthew Genge, Donald Yeomans, Clark Chapman, M.E. Sansaturio, Jose Ortiz, Joseph A. Nuth III, Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez, and Alessandra Rotundi.
For more information, check out the Meteoroids 2007 website at http://www.spmn.uji.es/meteoroids-2007, or contact Dr. Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez at trigo@ieec.uab.es.
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
Back issues of NAMN Notes can be found on-line 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 or
to find out information on our weekly chat sessions:
Contact Lew Gramer at:
dedalus@alum.mit.edu