GCR #1047 outburst of activity on February 15, 2024

Ivan Sergei

Mira Str.40-2, 222307, Molodechno, Belarus

astroseriv@yandex.by

While comparing my visual meteor observations for the VMDB (IMO)  with CAMS data, I noticed a strong concentration of unclassified radiants in the southern hemisphere at the boundary of the constellations Centauri and Southern Cross. I then contacted Robert Lunsford about a likely new shower. It turned out to be GCR #1047. There is data on this shower in Robert’s article:  https://www.emeteornews.net/2024/02/09/meteor-activity-outlook-for-10-16-february-2024/

This meteoroid stream was detected by P.Jennikens in 2021: “OUTBURST OF GAMMA CRUCIDS IN 2021 (GCR, IAU#1047)” .  Information about this meteor shower can be found in the IAU MDC.

Since 15.02.24 was the maximum shower activity, I looked at all the CAMS data since 2021 and concluded that the enhancement in activity on Feb. 15 was the strongest since 2021.

Figure 1 – Location of GCR #1047 radiant on February 15 from 2021 to 2024.

Judging from the trend of the meteor stream activity according to CAMS data, the meteor shower activity is increasing every year, perhaps in 2025 video networks can detect even more meteor activity from this shower than in 2024.

Acknowledgment

Thanks to Paul Roggemans for his help in the lay-out and the correction of this article. Thank you Robert Lunsford for the information.

References

Jenniskens P., 2021. Gamma Crucid meteors 2021. CBET 9432. Ed. D. W. E. Green, Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (issued Feb. 15, 2021).

Jenniskens P., Gural P. S., Dynneson L., Grigsby B. J., Newman K. E., Borden M., Koop M., Holman D. (2011). “CAMS: Cameras for Allsky Meteor Surveillance to establish minor meteor showers”. Icarus, 216, 40–61.