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The nodal, the new and the old maximum of the Perseid meteor stream

Lindblad, Bertil Anders LU (1998) In Planetary and Space Science 46(8). p.865-868
Abstract
Visual observations of Perseid meteors carried out in 1953-83 at the Onsala Space Observatory are analyzed to study the fine structure of the Perseid meteor stream maximum. Observed hourly rates are corrected for weather conditions and to a zenithal value. The Perseid activity curve is studied (1) for all observed Perseids, (2) for Perseids of app. magnitude 2.0 or brighter. The activity curve for both data sets shows two main peaks, one at solar long. 138.65° (1950.0) , very near to the node of the parent comet (Swift-Tuttle) , and a second peak at 139.42°, corresponding to the traditional maximum of the shower. A third, less conspicuous peak at 138.96° is also evident in the data. This peak could possibly be an early indication of the... (More)
Visual observations of Perseid meteors carried out in 1953-83 at the Onsala Space Observatory are analyzed to study the fine structure of the Perseid meteor stream maximum. Observed hourly rates are corrected for weather conditions and to a zenithal value. The Perseid activity curve is studied (1) for all observed Perseids, (2) for Perseids of app. magnitude 2.0 or brighter. The activity curve for both data sets shows two main peaks, one at solar long. 138.65° (1950.0) , very near to the node of the parent comet (Swift-Tuttle) , and a second peak at 139.42°, corresponding to the traditional maximum of the shower. A third, less conspicuous peak at 138.96° is also evident in the data. This peak could possibly be an early indication of the so-called new maximum of the Perseid stream. The detection of a well-defined peak in rates very near to the node of the parent comet is important since the position of the Perseid visual maximum usually quoted in the literature deviates from the cometary node by almost 1° in solar longitude. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Planetary and Space Science
volume
46
issue
8
pages
865 - 868
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:0346310249
ISSN
1873-5088
DOI
10.1016/S0032-0633(97)00224-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23d29416-5758-46be-adf9-78c5ab774150 (old id 1888911)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:04:51
date last changed
2024-04-09 00:27:30
@article{23d29416-5758-46be-adf9-78c5ab774150,
  abstract     = {{Visual observations of Perseid meteors carried out in 1953-83 at the Onsala Space Observatory are analyzed to study the fine structure of the Perseid meteor stream maximum. Observed hourly rates are corrected for weather conditions and to a zenithal value. The Perseid activity curve is studied (1) for all observed Perseids, (2) for Perseids of app. magnitude 2.0 or brighter. The activity curve for both data sets shows two main peaks, one at solar long. 138.65° (1950.0) , very near to the node of the parent comet (Swift-Tuttle) , and a second peak at 139.42°, corresponding to the traditional maximum of the shower. A third, less conspicuous peak at 138.96° is also evident in the data. This peak could possibly be an early indication of the so-called new maximum of the Perseid stream. The detection of a well-defined peak in rates very near to the node of the parent comet is important since the position of the Perseid visual maximum usually quoted in the literature deviates from the cometary node by almost 1° in solar longitude.}},
  author       = {{Lindblad, Bertil Anders}},
  issn         = {{1873-5088}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{865--868}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Planetary and Space Science}},
  title        = {{The nodal, the new and the old maximum of the Perseid meteor stream}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0032-0633(97)00224-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0032-0633(97)00224-9}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}