The Forward Scatter Meteor Year: 2001 Update

The following information is copied from WGN 29-3, June 2001, the bimonthly magazine of the International Meteor Organization and is reproduced with the kind permission of the author Alastair McBeath.

Table 1 - 

Forward-scatter radio meteor echo peaks found from 1993 August - 1997 June, as amended by observations from 1997 July - 2000 December.

Column one gives the solar longitude (for equinox J2000.0) an echo-count enhancement was recorded during. Longitudes given in square parentheses, "[]", indicate peaks found only since 1997 July. These parentheses' are similarly employed in columns two and three.

Column two (+ Solar Longitude) shows the spread in degrees of solar longitude sometimes noted by observers before and after the period in column one, but not necessarily in every year. A single number indicates that both the start and end solar longitudes may be so modified in some years (e.g. interval Solar Longitude = 314° to 318°, + 2°; greatest extent of enhancement thus solar Longitude = 312° to 320°), while two numbers indicate different amounts should be allowed for at the start (first number) and end (second number) of the period. Thus the interval 309° to 310° has been found to extend from 307° to 311° at times.

Column three indicates the relative strengths of the solar longitude peaks on a simple three-point scale (weak-medium-strong). This scale has been simplified from the original five point one used in the 1993 - 1997 analysis, and is no longer as numerically based as that earlier scale. Some comments on poorly confirmed peaks or unusual events are noted too.

Column four gives possible associated meteor showers (most minor ones associated by date only), and their peak solar longitudes. The three-letter IMO shower code is used for night-time shower data extracted from [6]; daylight shower information from the same source is indicated by unreferenced shower names consisting of the standard IAU constellation abbreviation, amended by adding the appropriate Bayer letter or month name in full, in brackets where necessary (e.g. the daytime b-Taurids become "b-Tau"; the April Piscids become "Psc (April)"). Other sources include: "Artoos I" and "II" [7]; "HV" [8]; "K" [9]; and "*" [10]. The use of set parentheses here ("{ }") indicates a shower whose radiant has a high southerly declination, which may never rise from some of the radio observing sites employed.

Column five gives relevant notes on each specific echo-count enhancement.

References

[1] A. McBeath, "The Forward Scatter Meteor Year" in: Proceedings IMC 1997, Petnica, Yugoslavia, A. Knöfel, A. McBeath (eds.), IMO, 1998, pp. 39 - 54.

[2] A. McBeath, "SPA Meteor Section Preliminary radio Results: 1996 Leonids", WGN 25:1 (February 1997), 99. 45 - 53.

[3] A. McBeath, "More on the Forward Scatter Meteor Year", in: Proceedings IMC 1998, Stará Lesná, Slovakia, R. Arlt, A. Knöfel (eds.), IMO, 1999, pp. 102 - 109.

[4] A. McBeath, "SPA Meteor Section Results: September - October 1998", WGN 27:3/4 (June - August 1999), pp. 209 - 214.

[5] R. Arlt, Glancing at the Taurids of the Last Decade", in: IMC Proceedings 1999, Frasso Sabino, Italy, R. Arlt (ed.), IMO, 2000, pp. 112 - 120.

[6] A. McBeath, R. Arlt (comp.) "2001 Meteor Shower Calendar", IMO 2000 (English), (French), (Spanish).

[7] D. Artoos, "Possible Radio Activity in September 1990", WGN 18:4 (August 1990), pp. 101 - 102.

[8] J. Rendtel, R. Arlt, A. McBeath (eds.), "Handbook for Visual Meteor Observers", IMO, 1995.

[9] G. W. Kronk, "Meteor Showers: A Descriptive Catalog", Enslow Publishers, 1988.

[10] A. McBeath (comp.), "1995 Meteor Shower Calendar", IMO, 1994.

[11] A. McBeath, R. Gorelli, "Call for Observations: January 24, 2001", WGN 28:6 (December 2000), pp. 190 - 191.

[12] K. Maegawa, "HRO A New Forward-Scatter Observation Method Using a Ham-Band Beacon", WGN 27:1 (February 1999), pp 64 - 72.