Abstract
THE AUGUST PERSEIDS OF 1926.—Mr. W. F. Denning writes that “a series of very clear nights during the first eleven days of August enabled these meteors to be well traced as they gradually increased to a maximum on the morning of August 12. On August 7 the shower was strikingly evident by some fine, flashing meteors. The hourly number observed was about twenty-five from all radiants, of which the proportion from Perseus was sixteen. On August 10, after rain and clouds had prevailed in the early part of the night, the sky became very clear and 60 meteors were seen by an assistant during a watch maintained for 2½ hours. The great majority of these were Perseids and were fairly bright with the normal features of swiftness and afterglows, the latter being strongly marked in several cases where the heads were unusually lustrous. On August n clouds and rain again affected the conditions, but soon after 22h G.M.T. the sky became clear and the ensuing morning presented an ideal aspect for astronomical purposes. A look-out was maintained for 4½ hours and 180 meteors were counted. About 145 of these were Perseids and included a fair proportion of conspicuous objects with long paths and a rapidity of movement which called for celerity on the part of the observer in accurately recording their flights. The maximum of the shower occurred between 2h and 3h G.M.T., August 12, when 60 meteors appeared. On the whole, however, the display may be regarded as only of moderate intensity and not nearly so rich in number as those of 1871, 1874, 1877, 1921 or some other years.”
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Our Astronomical Column. Nature 118, 280 (1926). https://doi.org/10.1038/118280a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/118280a0