Leonids 2003 Tonight (Atlantic Coast)/Statistical Study

[Nebula]

Hello everyone. The Leonid Meteor shower is tonight for those people near the Atlantic coast of the United States. For the story check out www.spaceweather.com I'm not sure how good this years shower is going to be but hopefully we'll get somewhat of a show, and of course clear dark skies are also helpful.

Also I'm going to attempt doing a statistical study on the meteor shower, if weather permits, as part of a project for a stats class. I'm going to be looking at meteors per hour over a time frame right around the peak time for observation near where I live in Florida. The peak times for selected cities are displayed in a table on a link at www.spaceweather.com If anyone lives near the Atlantic coast and is planning on attempting to view the meteor shower would you be so kind as to keep a tally of when you see a meteor and at what time. You only have to observe for about an hour right around the peak time for observation. For instance the peak time for Miami Florida is 2:30 AM November 19. I’ll be watching if weather permits from about 2:00 to 3:00 AM and recording the activity I see over that time frame. It would be greatly appreciated and the data collected would go into the statistical study. If you're interested let me know. The more people in the study the better the results.

 

[AndyW]

Hello, thank you for sharing this information about the Leonid Meteor shower and your plans for a statistical study. I find this very interesting and I would like to offer some advice and suggestions for your study.

Firstly, it is important to note that meteor showers can be unpredictable and vary in intensity from year to year. Therefore, it is important to have a large sample size in your study to account for any potential variations in the meteor shower.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to have a control group that is not located near the Atlantic coast, as their observations may differ from those near the coast. This will help to further validate your results and ensure that any differences in meteor sightings are due to location and not other factors.

Furthermore, it would be useful to record not only the number of meteors seen, but also their direction and duration. This can provide valuable information about the trajectory and speed of the meteors, which can be used to determine their origin and composition.

I would also suggest reaching out to other scientists or amateur astronomers who may be interested in participating in your study. This can help to increase the sample size and provide a more diverse range of data.

Lastly, it would be important to analyze and present your data accurately and objectively. This will ensure that your results are reliable and can be used to make meaningful conclusions about the Leonid Meteor shower.

Good luck with your study and I hope you have clear skies for your observations tonight!