This Month's Meteor Activity

Last Month's Meteor Activity

All Meteor data are provided by Andy, G7IZU, tuned to 55.250 / 59.257 MHz. Many thanks!
Feel free to check out his Radio Reflection Detection site for more details.

UPCOMING METEOR-SHOWERS: FEBRUARY - MARCH 2010


In February and March, Sporadic Meteors reach their annual minimum of activity; anyway, MS-DXing is still possible in 144 MHz, especially in the morning (when Sporadics have their daily maximum) and over distances close to optimal (around 1300 Km), having little more patience.

Only minor showers hit the Earth’s atmosphere in February and March. The most significant is Capricornids-Sagittariids, a daytime shower, capable of providing fairly good meteor rates sometimes at the end of January – early February, even if its radiant culminates at relatively low elevation over horizon in the northern emisphere. Expected radio maximum of Capricornids – Sagittariids in 2010 is on February 1st, 15 h UT, even if recent radio observations indicate that Capricornids – Sagittariids maximum may variably fall sometime between February 1 – 4.

Southern emisphere observers will have a check to α – Centaurids, a shower that produced good rates of bright meteors in the past, although recent observations (1988 – 2007) indicate that the typical ZHR to expect is about 6 hr-1. But in 1974 and 1980 short – lived outbursts with ZHR up to 20-30 have been noticed, so a check may be worthwhile.

For Radio Observers, the (theoretical) UT peaks for upcoming showers in February - March 2010 are as follows:


Capricornids – Sagittariids (Daytime shower)
Active: January 13 – February 04
Maximum: February 01, 15h UT (λsol= 312°5)
ZHR: Low - Medium

α – Centaurids (Southern emisphere shower)
Active: January 28 – February 21
Maximum: February 08 (λsol= 319°2)
ZHR: Low (6 hr-1)

χ – Capricornids (Daytime shower)
Active: January 29 – February 28
Maximum: February 13, 16h UT (λsol= 324°7)
ZHR: Low

δ – Leonids
Active: February 15 – March 10
Maximum: February 25 (λsol= 336°)
ZHR: Low

γ – Normids (Southern emisphere shower)
Active: February 25 – March 22
Maximum: March 14 (λsol= 354°)
ZHR: Low (6 hr-1)

(Source: IMO)


Recently observed Outbursts:

Ursids enhanced shower activity, over normal annual rates has been noticed on 2009 December 22nd, over the period 00h -15h UT. While visual observations indicated a ZHR up to 15 hr-1, radio observations carried out by Yrjola (OH5IY) and Lyytinen in Finland have allowed to determine an outburst with maximum at 09h +/- 0.5 hr UT on December 22nd (λsol = 270°51 +/- 0.02 deg), with FWHM of 6 +/- 1 hr. The shower has been found to be rich in overdense echoes (tehrefore, in relatively bright meteors). The outburst was due to the filament dust component of comet 8P/Tuttle, the encounter of which was predicted at 06h UT on Dec. 22nd, with FWHM = 8.2 hr.

A group of Finnish observers, using Video techniques, observed a possible outburst of γ - Ursae Minorids, a newly discovered stream that, until now, was only known from radar observations of very faint meteors.
In the night of 2010 Jan. 20/21 (λsol = 300°7 ) they observed meteors originating from known radiant of γ - Ursae Minorids, which peaks at λsol = 299° and is active for 11 days. The meteors were brighter than usual, so these observations indicate that an outburst of relatively bright meteors took place. Even if related ZHR at peak was only a fraction of overall Sporadic meteors hourly rate, this shower has now to be monitored carefully by researchers. Read more here.
(Source: IAU)

Please remember to UPDATE your "eMWS & DXCC Lists". That will help stations to plan properly their next activities...

Gd luck via METEORSCATTER - every sked (SSB & FSK & HSCW) will be welcome!
73 de Massimo IV3NDC (JN65RV) and Guido "Guy" DL8EBW (JO31NF) 2010-01-05

Make More Miles on VHF MS Activity OVERVIEW



As well as in the PERSEIDS and GEMINIDS MS-Shower the VHF-DX-Portal MMMonVHF
will be trying to setup an up to date MS OVERVIEW during the next METEOR SHOWER.



MMMonVHF did start 2008 to archive the ACTIVITY-OVERVIEW´s from the past MS-Shower:

MS-SPRINT & PERSEIDS 2008:
OVERVIEW PDF-File & SQUARE-MAP

BCC & GEMINIDS 2008:
OVERVIEW PDF-File & SQUARE-MAP

MS-SPRINT & PERSEIDS 2009:
OVERVIEW PDF-File & SQUARE-MAP

BCC & GEMINIDS 2009:
OVERVIEW PDF-File & SQUARE-MAP




The following overview shall be an extract and an announce-place during MS-Contests or / and Meteorscatter-Showers


We will try to spread in short time infos "who will be "were" qrv and use "which" qrg ...
Of course it can be not a complete overview and shall be only an extract what is going on.

73 Massimo, IV3NDC and Guido, DL8EBW

JO31

DL1XYZ

144.370 >144.377

*** FOR EXAMPLE ONLY ***

2009-11-11

IO43-IO44-IO54
Dermont, EI7IX, is thinking of going on a mini-dxpedition this winter during either the Leonids
or Geminids to activate a "rare" square on 2 meters. He need your feedback at his VOTINGPAGE...
LATEST NEWS 2009-12-07:
Due to circumstances, I will NOT be operating /P from any Square during the Leonid or Geminid Meteor Showers this year. If circumstances allow, I will try to operate from either IO43 or IO44 on some Saturday or Sunday morning between now and next Spring. A big thanks to all who took the time to vote, hopefully you will be rewarded !
SOURCE: Dermont, EI7IX on KST-Chat and his Web

2009-09-13

KO35/36/46
Just back from KO35, found good qth in ko35/36/46, was without radio..
next year exped to this sqrs and maybe to EW
SOURCE: DG5CST Sebastian at KST-Chat

2009-05-03

JO98
plans for 2010 (to get permit to stay may near military installations :-) I hope in 2010 we can make a exp.)
SOURCE: Henrik, OZ8ZS in the KST-Chat