An overview of the radio observations during December 2019 is given.
The graphs show both the daily totals (Figure 1) and the hourly numbers (Figure 2) of “all” reflections counted automatically, and of manually counted “overdense” reflections, overdense reflections longer than 10 seconds and longer than 1 minute, as observed here at Kampenhout (BE) on the frequency of our VVS-beacon (49.99 MHz) during the month of December 2019.
The hourly numbers, for echoes shorter than 1 minute, are weighted averages derived from:
N(h) = n(h-1)/4 + n(h)/2 + n(h+1)/4
During this month there was little local interference (apart from sometimes quite strong background noise), no registered “sporadic E” (Es) nor was there lightning activity. The automatic counts were corrected manually to eliminate as much as possible the effects of the interference.
The Geminids were, as expected, the eye-catchers of the month. The general structure of the shower is interesting: fairly slow increase of the activity if “all” Geminids are considered, while “long overdense reflections” reach a maximum more rapidly. Moreover, in the period before the maximum, the total number of meteors is strikingly larger than afterwards. This is best seen in the graphs of “all reflections”
The Ursids were rather weak this year. The graph with the hour counts of “all reflections” shows a small but clear peak at the expected time on December 23rd. However, overdense reflections longer than 10 seconds are evident on December 21-22-23, which is easily seen in the daily totals. Possibly the increase on December 21 is (partly) caused by another shower (? December Leonis Minorides = DLM).
Various other shower were active, especially in the first half of the month. To be further investigated.
Some screen-dumps of a selection of eye-catching long duration reflections are displayed (Figures 3 to 12).
If you are interested in the actual figures, please send me an e-mail: felix.verbelen at skynet.be.
Figure 1 – The daily totals of “all” reflections counted automatically, and of manually counted “overdense” reflections, overdense reflections longer than 10 seconds and longer than 1 minute, as observed here at Kampenhout (BE) on the frequency of our VVS-beacon (49.99 MHz) during December 2019.
Figure 2 – The hourly numbers of “all” reflections counted automatically, and of manually counted “overdense” reflections, overdense reflections longer than 10 seconds and longer than 1 minute, as observed here at Kampenhout (BE) on the frequency of our VVS-beacon (49.99 MHz) during December 2019.
Figure 3 – 2019 December 04 at 03h30m UT.
Figure 4 – 2019 December 05 at 07h50m UT.
Figure 5 – 2019 December 05 at 08h55m UT.
Figure 6 – 2019 December 09 at 01h30m UT.
Figure 7 – 2019 December 10 at 10h30m UT.
Figure 8 – 2019 December 14 at 02h30m UT.
Figure 9 – 2019 December 15 at 09h15m UT.
Figure 10 – 2019 December 21 at 03h15m UT.
Figure 11 – 2019 December 21 at 03h25m UT.
Figure 12 – 2019 December 21 at 03h30m UT.
