2014 Camelopardalids (?)

[Christopher K.]

Are we long for a new meteor shower? We may experience the birth of the Camelopardalids, as they are being called, next weekend. The estimated peak is between 1am and 3am CDT early the morning of Saturday the 24th, with maximum between 1:30am and 2:30am.

These meteor streaks would be caused by bits of dust produced by P/209 LINEAR. Preliminary studies of the particles suggest bright meteors could occur! The radiant will lie in Camelopardalis the Giraffe, twelve degrees from Polaris.

More information:
http://www.amsmeteors.org/2014/05/posss ... 2324-2014/
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronom ... or-shower/

[Christopher K.]

During October 2012, J. Verbaillon found that the dust trails ejected by LINEAR from 1803 to 1924 would be in Earth’s orbit this month, stating the result "might well be a storm". However, Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society is nixing the idea of an actual storm. Still, there may be activity comparable to a Geminid or Perseid peak. A prediction by Esko Lyytinen of a 24 May 2014 shower is noted in Peter Jennisken’s 2006 book Meteor Showers and Their Parent Comets.

Entering HRPO's coordinates into the Fluxtimator and choosing a "Suburbs" sky, I see a peak of 13.1 meteor streaks per hour at ~2:20am. The shower is listed in the pull-down menu as "209P/Linear Jenniskens".

Fluxtimator:
http://meteor.seti.org/

[Christopher K.]

Here's the NOAA forecast for Saturday morning at 2am from the HRPO area...
temperature, 21˚C
dewpoint, 18˚C
sky cover, 33%
precipitation potential, 0%
relative humidity, 87%
surface wind, SE 5k/hr

As long as the cloud cover isn't any greater, this event is worth setting one's alarm for 1am and going into the backyard for at least a half-hour.

[Christopher K.]

So, this potentially big event is just a few hours away! There will be a 7:30pm presentation at HRPO explaining the procedures for increasing chances of seeing as many streaks as possible. HRPO will close at the regular time of 10pm; visitors will not be allowed to remain.

During the event one should face west or east, whichever is darker. Most of the time, one should keep the head angled to a point about halfway to two-thirds up from the horizon.

If you choose to view from your backyard, make advanced plans to extinguish your home's outer lights and to request that your neighbors do the same. Please do not go anywhere for which you've not been given permission, or anywhere that is unsafe. One can also attempt to get to a family member or friend's rural residence.

General tips for viewing meteors include...
*Dress warmly. You'd be surprised how much body heat you lose while immobile.
*Do not consume alcohol of any sort. Even before consumption has given you a "buzz", it has hindered night vision.
*Do not allow your electronic device (flip phone, smart phone, etc.) to glow in your eyes unless you can have it glow red and faint.
*Do not break any laws or ignore any basic safety principles to increase the chance of seeing more meteor streaks; it's not worth it.

[Christopher K.]

Well, it looks as though this event wasn't as amazing as many hoped. "Well that sure was a dud" states Kelly Beatty. There were just a few meteors per hour--but, the positive point may be that the shower will become an annual (?).