[meteorite-list] 1993/94 Perseids - The Night of Lights!!

From: bernd.pauli at paulinet.de <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: 13 Aug 2010 22:40:53 UT
Message-ID: <DIIE.0000005100004ED1_at_paulinet.de>

Kirk wrote:

"I remember the ULTIMATE barrage of Perseids in 1993 I believe, or was it
1994--wayyy up North at the boundary waters in Canada...The skies were just
crystal clear and black as any night I have ever seen!...we counted over 125
confirmed meteors."

This may have been 1993 which was heralded as "1993: Year of the Perseids".

Here's an excerpt from an article by Peter Brown and J?rgen Rendtel in the
Sky & Telescope issue of January 1994, p. 34:

The Perseid meteor shower last August was by far the most publicized in history.
Television, radio, and newspapers devoted exceptional attention to the possible
approach of a rare meteor storm. Twilight on August 11th saw traffic jams along
 country roads and at entrances to state parks, as thousands of people left light-
polluted cities in search of dark skies. In Los Alamos, New Mexico, authorities
prevented traffic problems by turning off city lights so residents could watch
the show from their own yards. Astronomy club members everywhere found themselves
in front of cameras and microphones explaining what they thought, or hoped,
would happen.

The Perseids themselves cooperated only in part. The shower did display an unusually
intense peak of activity just a few hours after the time predicted. Counts made from
western Europe, the Canary Islands, and eastern North America indicate the maximum
zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) topped out at more than 300 around 3:30 Universal Time on
August 12th. This time fell during late evening on August 11th for the eastern United
States. (The ZHR is the standard based on continuous observing by a single person, an
unobstructed view, naked-eye limiting magnitude of 6.5, and the shower radiant overhead.)

This rate was far below meteor-storm levels. But by any other standard it was excellent,
giving many experienced meteor watchers the best display of their lives, and leaving at
least some of the public - those favorably placed under decent skies - happy with what
they saw."

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Best wishes,

Bernd
Received on Fri 13 Aug 2010 06:40:53 PM PDT