[meteorite-list] (meteorobs) Geminid photos uploaded/did anyone notice anything unusual ab...

From: countdeiro at earthlink.net <countdeiro_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:51:07 -0500 (EST)
Message-ID: <5410002.1261158667182.JavaMail.root_at_wamui-cynical.atl.sa.earthlink.net>

George Zay said ">>Perhaps it's just me, but did anyone else notice more persistent trains
than usual? Although there were not too many fireballs that I saw, even
dimmer (but still negative magnitude) Geminids seemed to leave long
lasting trains.<<

Would anyone care to share their knowledge of the factors at play in the production of visible "trains"? I would surmise that the velocity of the object has less to do with this than the mass and the penetration to denser lower altitudes.

Count Deiro

-----Original Message-----
>From: geozay at aol.com
>Sent: Dec 18, 2009 12:05 PM
>To: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] (meteorobs) Geminid photos uploaded/did anyone notice anything unusual ab...
>
>
>
>
>>>Perhaps it's just me, but did anyone else notice more persistent trains
>than usual? Although there were not too many fireballs that I saw, even
>dimmer (but still negative magnitude) Geminids seemed to leave long
>lasting trains.<<
>
>This is something I wouldn't be expecting. I kept personal records of
>train activity when I observed in the 1990's. For the Geminids, I showed a rate
>of only 3.2% that displayed visible wakes or trains. That was for the
>years of 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1998 under sky limiting magnitudes of between 5.6
>and 6.0. Those years produced 1413 Geminids with 45 showing trains. I'd
>frequently see many bright members without a train. The Geminids entry
>velocity is 35 km/s. I noticed that the faster the entry velocity, generally the
>more trains will be perceived. For example Leonids have an entry velocity
>of 71 km/s with 55% train production. And for North Taurids with entry
>velocity of 29 km/s I saw a rate of 1.6% train production. On occasions I'd find
>something that doesn't hold to that pattern...such as the Alpha
>Capricornids...with an entry velocity of 25 km/s I find their train production around
>3.9%. As for the sporadic population I found overall train production to
>be at 13.8%
>George Zay
>
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Received on Fri 18 Dec 2009 12:51:07 PM PST