[IAUC] CBET 1049: 20070903 : 2007 AURIGID METEORS

[IAUC mailing list]

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 1049
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS en CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT en CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


2007 AURIGID METEORS
     P. Jenniskens, SETI Institute, reports that observations onboard
two research aircraft over Nevada and California indicate that the
anticipated Aurigid outburst (cf. CBET 1045) from the 1-revolution
dust trail of comet C/1911 N1 (Kiess) did occur on Sept. 1 between
10h30m and 12h00m UT, with a peak at 11h15m +/- 5 minutes (the predicted
peak time was 11h33m +/- 20 min).  The peak rate was within a factor of
two of that expected.  Most meteors were in the magnitude range -2 to +3,
as anticipated.
     C. Steyaert, Vereniging Voor Sterrenkunde, Belgium, writes that
several stations of the 'Radio Meteor Observatories On Line' collaboration
(http://radio.data.free.fr/main.php3) report high Aurigid activity on
September 1.  A. Smith, Tavistock, U.K., observing at 143.050 MHz, found the
Aurigids to be "very active with big fireballs" between Sept. 1d10h45m
and 1d12h10m UT.  J. Brower, Kelowna, B.C., Canada, observing at 61.26 MHz,
found that "heavy, overdense echoes had a sudden onset starting" during
Sept. 1d10h50m-1d11h00m and continued to be heavy for an hour.  W. Camps,
Tessenderlo, Belgium, observing at 49.990 MHz, observed the following
counts at 10-minute intervals starting:  Sept. 1d10h00m, 6; 1d10h10m, 3;
1d10h20m, 4; 1d10h30m, 2; 1d10h40m, 4; 1d10h50m, 2; 1d11h00m, 7; 1d11h10m,
4; 1d11h20m, 7; 1d11h30m, 7; 1d11h40m, 3; 1d11h50m, 3; 1d12h00m, 4;
1d12h10m, 2; 1d12h20m, 2; 1d12h30m, 1; 1d12h40m, 1; 1d12h50m, 2.
     J. M. Trigo-Rodriguez, Institut de Ciencies de l'Espai and Institut
d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Bellaterra (Barcelona), reports that no
signs of Aurigid activity were recorded from Catalonia, Spain, via the
all-sky CCD cameras of the Spanish Meteor Network on Sept. 1d00h30m-
1d04h30m UT.  Meteors of magnitude 3 or brighter were recorded radiating
from the Aurigid radiant, and there were no signs of fireballs from the
dust trail of comet C/1911 N1.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2007 CBAT
2007 September 3                 (CBET 1049)              Daniel W. E. Green