[IAUC] CBET 2593: 20101218 : GEMINID METEORS 2010

[quai en eps.harvard.edu]

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 2593
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director:  Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University;
 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA  02138; U.S.A.
e-mail:  cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat en iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


GEMINID METEORS 2010
     P. Jenniskens, SETI Institute, reports that the Geminids had a regular
return in 2010, with a peak rate ZHR = 140 +/- 30 meteor/hr at solar longitude
262.2 deg.  The International Meteor Organization (http://www.imo.net) reports
ZHR = 82 meteors/hr at solar longitude 261.7 deg, just before the peak, while
K. Mameta (Kobe, Japan; via S. Nakano, Sumoto), had an average ZHR = 115
meteors/hr at solar longitude 262.4 deg, just after the peak.  Observing from
Fremont Peak Observatory (California), P. Jenniskens and M. Koop detected what
appear to be lunar impacts on Dec. 14d02h45m09s and 14d03h11m08s.5 UT while
monitoring the dark side of the moon for potential impact flashes during
Dec. 14.073-14.303 UT using a Celestron C8 (20-cm f/10) telescope (+ Watec
920H2 Ultimate camera in prime focus); the two clear events that were seen
during operatios were later confirmed by checking the tapes, and additional
processing will be forthcoming regarding location on the lunar surface,
brightness information, etc.

     J. M. Trigo-Rodriguez, Institute for Space Sciences, Consejo Superior de
Investigaciones Cientificas; J. M. Madiedo, Universidad de Huelva; P. Pujols,
Agrupacio Astronomica Osona; J. C. Millan, Asocciacion Astronomica Hubble;
J. A. Azcarate, Universidad de Castilla, La Mancha; J. Zamorano and F. Ocana,
Universidad Complutense, Madrid, report that their video stations operating
in the framework of the Spanish Fireball Network saw a rate ZHR = 80 +/- 7
meteors/hr (for the magnitude distribution index, r = 1.8, derived from the
observations; and the number of meteors filmed, N = 45, for meteors brighter
than magnitude 4) between Dec. 13.9 and 14.1 UT (mean solar longitude 261.7
deg).  Remarkable was the detection of three bolides brighter than the moon
at Dec. 13d21h46m14s, 13d23h13m52s, and 14d00h34m01s UT, corresponding to
solar longitudes 261.65 to 261.75 deg.


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

                         (C) Copyright 2010 CBAT
2010 December 18                 (CBET 2593)              Daniel W. E. Green