Earth and Space News: Virgo radiant meteor showers

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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

February Mu Virginids Shower Earth’s Skies February to Early March

Summary: The February mu Virginids shower Earth’s skies February to early March, with peak activity expected around Feb. 25 to Feb. 26.

The February mu Virginid meteor shower appears to radiate from an area near Mu Virginis in southeastern Virgo the Virgin constellation; Hercules (HER) constellation map credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope (Roger Sinnott and Rick Fienberg; constellation patterns by Alan MacRoberts), CC BY 4.0 International, via IAU (International Astronomical Union)

The recently detected February mu Virginids shower Earth’s skies February to early March, the meteor shower’s annual activity dates, with an expected peak around Feb. 25 or Feb. 26.

The announcement of the discovery of the February mu Virginids as one of eight new showers appeared in the June 2013 issue of WGN, the Journal of the International Meteor Organization. The eight new showers emerged from radiant analyses of 133,653 orbits culled from Croatian Meteor Network catalogues for 2007 to 2010 and Japan’s SonotaCo Network catalogues from 2007 to 2011. The Croatian Meteor Network’s report credited the February mu Virginids with 21 known orbits.

The discoverers of the February mu Virginids described the shower as weak “with moderate duration.” They initially assigned activity dates of Feb. 7 to Feb. 27. The February mu Virginids were identified as active between solar longitudes 318 and 338.

Robert Lunsford, the American Meteor Society’s Meteor Activity Outlook weekly columnist, placed annual activity dates from Feb. 16 to March 4 for 2018. He expanded the 2017 and 2016 activity dates by one day, with the shower beginning Feb. 15 and ending March 4.

Lunsford’s predicted peak date for the 2018 February mu Virginids was Feb. 25. Peak activity in 2017 and 2016 was predicted to occur Feb. 26.

Lunsford describes the February mu Virginids as producing “mostly swift meteors.” He places entry into Earth’s atmosphere at a velocity of 62 kilometers per second (38.52 miles per second). The Croatian Meteor Network’s report valued the entry velocity of the February mu Virginid members at 66.9 kilometers per second (41.56 miles per second), with a standard deviation of plus or minus 0.7.

Lunsford predicts rates of less than one February mu Virginid meteor per hour at all viewing locations. He recommends around 5 a.m. local standard time for best viewing, with the shower’s apparent point of origin, known as radiant, appearing high above the horizon.

The February mu Virginids appear to radiate from the vicinity of Mu Virginis (μ Virginis; mu Vir, μ Vir) in southeastern Virgo the Virgin constellation, near Virgo’s border with northwestern Libra the Scales constellation. The fourth magnitude star lies in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere, less than six degrees south of the celestial equator, astronomy’s projection of Earth’s equator onto space’s imaginary sphere.

Virgo the Virgin’s straddling of the celestial equator qualifies the sky’s second largest constellation as an equatorial constellation. Virgo’s visibility stretches from 80 degrees north latitude to 80 degrees south latitude.

The Croatian Meteor Network’s discovery report of the February mu Virginids approximates the shower’s daily motion for right ascension (RA; similar to geographical longitude) at 0.8 degrees per day. Declination (DEC; similar to geographical latitude) has a rough value of minus 0.4 degrees per day. The superposition of the shower’s members with Earth’s movements determines the shower’s radiant drift.

For the 2016 February mu Virginids, Lunsford tracked radiant drift from constellation Virgo to Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation. The radiant Saturday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 14, favored southeastern Virgo, five degrees east of dim, fourth magnitude star Iota Virginis (ι Virginis; Iota Vir, ι Vir). The radiant Saturday, Feb. 27, to Sunday, Feb. 28, associated with southern Ophiuchus, near the fourth magnitude, triple star system of Lambda Ophiuchi (λ Ophiuchi; Lambda Oph, λ Oph).

The parent body of the February mu Virginids is unknown. The Croatian Meteor Network report stated: “Note that geocentric velocity is very well defined for this shower, which may indicate a relatively young shower.”

Damir Šegon of Croatia’s Astronomical Society Istra Pula and Višnjan Science and Education Center and five other members of the Croatian Meteor Network are credited with discovery of the February mu Virginids. Šegon shares the discovery with Željko Andreić of the University of Zagreb; Korado Korlević of Višnjan Science and Education Center; Filip Novoselnik, Denis Vida and Ivica Skokić of Astronomical Society “Anonymus” and University of Osijek.

As chair of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) Commission 22’s Task Group on Meteor Shower Nomenclature, Dutch and American astronomer Peter Jenniskens reported the recognition of the February mu Virginids as a new meteor shower via IAU’s Central Bureau Electronic Telegram no. 3707, Nov. 12, 2013. The IAU designates the new shower as 00516 FMV.

The takeaways for the February mu Virginids, which shower Earth’s skies annually from February to early March, are that peak activity by the shower’s swiftly moving meteors happens around Feb. 24 to Feb. 25, the shower’s parent body is unknown and the shower’s discovery was reported in June 2013.

Mu (μ) Virginis, namesake of February mu Virginid meteor shower, represents the right foot in Virgo the Virgin constellation; Alexander Jamieson, A Celestial Atlas, Plate XVIII: Public Domain, via U.S. Naval Observatory Library

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The February mu Virginid meteor shower appears to radiate from an area near Mu Virginis in southeastern Virgo the Virgin constellation; Virgo (VIR) constellation map credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope (Roger Sinnott and Rick Fienberg; constellation patterns by Alan MacRoberts), CC BY 4.0 International, via IAU (International Astronomical Union) @ https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/#com

“00516 FMV February mu Virginids.” IAU (International Astronomical Union) Meteor Data Center > List of All Meteor Showers.
Available @ https://www.ta3.sk/IAUC22DB/MDC2007/Roje/pojedynczy_obiekt.php?kodstrumienia=00516&colecimy=0&kodmin=00001&kodmax=01032&sortowanie=0

Dibon-Smith, Richard. “α Virginis.” The Constellations.
Available @ http://www.dibonsmith.com/vir_a.htm

Espenak, Fred. “Phases of the Moon: 2001-2010 Universal Time.” AstroPixels > Ephemeris > Moon > Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon: Moon Phases From -1999 to +4000 (2000 BCE to 4000 CE).
Available @ http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases2001.html

Garfinkle, Robert. Star-Hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe. Cambridge, England: Cambridge; New York NY; Melbourne, Australia: University Press, 1994.

Jamieson, Alexander. A Celestial Atlas: Comprising a Systematic Display of the Heavens in a Series of Thirty Maps Illustrated by Scientific Description of Their Contents and Accompanied by Catalogues of the Stars and Astronomical Exercises. London England: G. & W.B. Whittaker, 1822.
Available via U.S. Naval Observatory Library @ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/library/

Jenniskens, P. (Peter). “New Meteor Showers Recognized.” CBET (Central Bureau for Electronic Telegrams), no. 3707. Nov. 12, 2013. Edited by Daniel W.E. Green.
Available via Harvard University’s Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/cbet/003700to003800.txt

Jenniskens, Peter. Meteor Showers and Their Parent Comets. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for February 13-19, 2016.” American Meteor Society. Feb. 14, 2016.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2016/02/meteor-activity-outlook-for-february-13-19-2016/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for Feb. 17-23, 2018.” American Meteor Society. Feb. 16, 2018.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2018/02/meteor-activity-outlook-for-february-17-23-2018/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for February 18-24, 2017.” American Meteor Society. Feb. 17, 2017.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/02/meteor-activity-outlook-for-february-18-24-2017/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for February 24-March 2, 2018.” American Meteor Society. Feb. 22, 2018.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2018/02/meteor-activity-outlook-for-february-24-march-2-2018/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for February 25-March 3, 2017.” American Meteor Society. Feb. 24, 2017.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/02/meteor-activity-outlook-for-february-25-march-3-2017/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for Feb 27-March 4, 2016.” American Meteor Society. Feb. 28, 2016.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2016/02/meteor-activity-outlook-for-february-27-march-4-2016/

Lunsford, Robert. Meteors and How to Observe Them. Astronomers’ Observing Guides. New York NY: Springer Science+Business Media, 2009.

Marriner, Derdriu. "2019 February Epsilon Virginids Shower Earth’s Skies Jan. 29 to Feb. 9." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-february-epsilon-virginids-shower.html

“Moon Phases February 2019.” Calendar-12.com > Moon Calendar > 2019.
Available @ https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_calendar/2019/february

“Moon Phases March 2019.” Calendar-12.com > Moon Calendar > 2019.
Available @ https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_calendar/2019/march

Ofek, Eran. “Convert Solar Longitude to JD & Date.” Tel Aviv University School of Physics & Astronomy Department of Astrophysics > Wise Observatory.
Available @ http://wise-obs.tau.ac.il/~eran/Wise/Util/SolLon.html

Šegon, Damir; Željko Andreić; Korado Korlević; Filip Novoselnik; Denis Vida; Ivica Skokić. “8 New Showers From Croatian Meteor Network Data.” WGN, vol. 41, no. 3 (June 2013): 70-74.
Available via via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2013JIMO...41...70S
Available via IMO @ https://www.imo.net/publications/wgn/

Tatum, Jeremy B. “Where Is the Radiant?” Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, vol. 101 (February/février 2007), no. 1: 14-24.
Available via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2007JRASC.101...14T

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

2019 February Epsilon Virginids Shower Earth’s Skies Jan. 29 to Feb. 9

Summary: The 2019 February epsilon Virginids shower Earth’s skies Jan. 29 to Feb. 9, the shower’s annual activity dates, with midpoint peaking Feb. 3 to 4.

February epsilon Virginid meteor shower appears to radiate from an area to the north of Vindemiatrix (Epsilon Virginis); Virgo the Virgin constellation map credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope (Roger Sinnott and Rick Fienberg; constellation patterns by Alan MacRoberts), CC BY 4.0 International, via IAU (International Astronomical Union)

The 2019 February epsilon Virginid shower Earth’s skies Tuesday, Jan. 29, to Saturday, Feb. 9, the meteor shower’s annual activity dates, with an expected midpoint peak Sunday, Feb. 3, to Monday, Feb. 4.

Robert Lunsford, the American Meteor Society’s Meteor Activity Outlook weekly columnist, recommends pre-dawn hours for best viewing. The February epsilon Virginid shower’s radiant (apparent point of origin) appears well above the horizon before midnight local standard time. Best viewing begins around 4 a.m. local standard time.

The February epsilon Virginids shoot swift-moving meteors. The shower’s discoverers, SETI Institute intern Kathryn Steakley and senior research scientist Peter Jenniskens place entry velocity during the meteors’ encounter with Earth’s atmosphere at 63 kilometers per second (39.1 miles per second).

The February epsilon Virginids are visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Lunsford gives a rate of nearly one meteor per hour at all viewing locations in the last dark pre-dawn hour.

The IMO (International Meteor Organization) Video Meteor Network’s report for January 2013 assigned almost 600 meteors to the February epsilon Virginids during the shower’s activity dates from Jan. 29 to Feb. 9. The report noted that “the shower is the second or third strongest source in the sky all time long.” The February epsilon Virginid shower’s meteors were culled from recordings of more than 13,000 meteors by 71 cameras over nearly 5,000 hours of observing time.

A dark moon encourages ideal observations during the 2019 February epsilon Virginid shower’s annual activity dates, including peak. The waning crescent phase progressively darkens the moon, from only about 34 percent visibility at the shower’s onset, Tuesday, Jan. 29, down to only six percent visibility Saturday, Feb. 2. Peak activity coincides with the moon’s invisible new moon phase, which begins Monday, Feb. 4, at 21:04 Universal Time (4:04 p.m. Eastern Standard Time). The waxing crescent phase dims the lunar surface, with visibility only reaching 19 percent at the shower’s end, Saturday, Feb. 9.

The February epsilon Virginid meteor shower’s name reflects an apparent point of origin, known as the shower’s radiant, near Virgo the Virgin constellation’s third brightest star, Epsilon Virginis. February epsilon Virginid meteors appear to radiate from the constellation’s northwestern region, near Virgo’s boundary with the southeastern region of Coma Berenices the Hair of Berenice constellation.

On the February epsilon Virginid shower’s start date, Jan. 29, Lunsford locates the radiant at a point two degrees north of Epsilon Virginis. Peak activity appears to radiate from a point four degrees east of Epsilon Virginis.

Epsilon Virginis (ε Virginis; Epsilon Vir, ε Vir) lies in the second largest constellation in Earth’s sky. Virgo the Virgin also sprawls as the largest of the 12 zodiacal constellations. A third magnitude star with a yellowish hue, Epsilon Virginis represents Virgo the Virgin’s right arm or wing.

Epsilon Virginis is known as traditionally as Vindemiatrix (Latin: feminine grape gatherer) or as Vindemiator (Latin: male grape gatherer). Dr. Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri, astrophysicist at l’Observatoire de Paris, suggests that the traditional name acknowledges the star’s first visibility when grapes are ready for harvesting.

Discovery of the February epsilon Virginids occurred through the NASA-sponsored Cameras for All-sky Meteor Surveillance (CAMS) system. Examination of data recorded by the CAMS system’s stations at Fremont Peak Observatory, Lick Observatory and Sunnyvale during the first week of February (Wednesday, Feb. 1, to Saturday, Feb. 4) 2012 revealed an unknown stream. The stream’s cluster of nine meteors February Epsilon Virginids traced to a geocentric (apparent) radiant near Vindemiatrix (Epsilon Virginis, ε Virginis; Epsilon Vir, ε Vir) in Virgo the Virgin constellation.

Steakley and Jenniskens were able to increase their tally of possible associations from nine to a total of 28. Examinations of 2011 CAMS and Japan’s 2007-2009 SonotaCo Meteor Network data yielded 15 additional candidates. Expanding the February 2012 CAMS data by four additional days (Sunday, Feb. 5, through Wednesday, Feb. 8) produced four additional candidates.

D-criterion calculations indicate the degree of closeness between two orbits. A comparison of the median of the 28 orbits with the D-criterion for individual orbits eliminated six outliers. D-criterion values of less than 0.15 applied to 22 of the 28 orbits. Four of the 22 orbits were sourced from SonotaCo and 18 were captured by CAMS.

Steakley and Jenniskens reported their findings to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the international association responsible for assigning designations and names to astronomical bodies and objects. IAU assigned number 506 to the new shower, now known as the February epsilon Virginids (FEV).

The discoverers figure an orbital period of 40.4 years for the February epsilon Virginid meteor shower’s unknown parent body. The orbital period qualifies the parent body as a Halley-type comet. Halley-type comets exhibit orbital periods of 20 to 200 years.

In the presentation of their discovery at the American Astronomical Society’s 221st meeting Jan. 9, 2013, in Long Beach, California, Steakley and Jenniskens identified three parent body candidates: comets C/1978 T3 (Bradfield), C/1808 F1 (Pons) and C/1939 H1 (Jurlof-Achmarof-Hassel). Discovered on Oct. 10, 1978, Comet C/1978 T3 numbered as the eighth of 18 comets credited to New Zealand-born Australian amateur astronomer William A. Bradfield (June 20, 1927-June 9, 2014). French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons (Dec. 24, 1761-Oct. 14, 1831) discovered Comet C/1808 F1 on March 25, 1808. The IAU credits Russian amateur astronomers Semyon Nikolaevich Jurlof (Yurlov) (?-1962) and Ibrahim Valiullovich Achmarof (Akhmarov) (April 18, 1912-1987?) and Norwegian amateur astronomer Olaf Hassel (May 12, 1898-Aug. 22, 1972) with the April 15, 1939, discovery of Comet C/1939 H1.

The takeaways for the 2019 February epsilon Virginids, which shower Earth’s skies annually from Jan. 29 to Feb. 9, are that peak activity by the shower’s swiftly moving meteors happens Feb. 3 to Feb. 4 and that the shower’s parent body is unknown.

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

SETI Institute's principal investigator, Dutch and American meteor astronomer Peter Jenniskens, co-discovered the February epsilon Virginids with SETI intern Kathryn Steakley via 2012 CAMS data: SETI Institute @SETIInstitute, via Facebook March 29, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/SETIInstitute/photos/a.123276420534/10152310512255535/

For further information:

“00506 FEV February epsilon Virginids.” IAU (International Astronomical Union) Meteor Data Center > List of All Meteor Showers.
Available @ https://www.ta3.sk/IAUC22DB/MDC2007/Roje/pojedynczy_obiekt.php?kodstrumienia=00506&colecimy=&kodmin=00001&kodmax=01032&sortowanie=

“C/1808 F1 (Pons).” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Dynamics > JPL Small-Body Database Browser.
Available @ https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=c%2F1808%20f1

“C/1939 H1 (Jurlof-Achmarof-Hassel).” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Dynamics > JPL Small-Body Database Browser.
Available @ https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=c%2F1939%20h1

“C/1978 T3 (Bradfield).” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Dynamics > JPL Small-Body Database Browser.
Available @ https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=c%2F1978%20t3

Espenak, Fred. AstroPixels > Ephemeris > Moon > Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon: Moon Phases From -1999 to +4000 (2000 BCE to 4000 CE) > Phases of the Moon: 2001-2010 Universal Time.
Available @ http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases2001.html

Flammarion, Gabrielle Camille; Roger Rigollet; Ferdinand Quénisset; Marcel Gentili. “La Comète Jurlof-Achmarof-Hassel (1939d).” L’Astronomie: Revue Mensuelle d’Astronomie de Météorologie et de Physique du Globe et Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France, vol. 53, no. 5 (mai 1939): 193-201.
Available via Gallica -- The BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Digital Library @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9629139t/f211.item.r=com%C3%A8te%20jurlof

Garfinkle, Robert. Star-Hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe. Cambridge, England: Cambridge; New York NY; Melbourne, Australia: University Press, 1994.

Heydari-Malayeri, Mohammad. “Vindemiatrix.” An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics English-French-Persian.
Available via l’Observatoire de Paris Dictionary @ http://dictionary.obspm.fr/index.php?showAll=1&formSearchTextfield=Vindemiatrix

Jenniskens, Peter. Meteor Showers and Their Parent Comets. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Kronk, Gary W. “C/1808 F1 (Pons).” Cometography: A Catalog of Comets, vol. 2 1800-1899: 16-17. Cambridge, England; New York NY; Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Kronk, Gary W. “C/1939 H1 (Jurlof-Achmarof-Hassel).” Cometography: A Catalog of Comets, vol. 4 1933-1959: 94-98. Cambridge, England; New York NY; Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Kronk, Gary W. “C/1978 T3 (Bradfield).” Cometography: A Catalog of Comets, vol. 5 1960-1982: 623. Cambridge, England; New York NY; Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Leitner, Burkhard. “C/1939 H1 (Jurlof-Achmarof-Hassel).” Kometarium.
Available @ http://www.kometarium.com/1939h1.html

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for January 17-23, 2015.” American Meteor Society. Jan. 16, 2015.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2015/01/meteor-activity-outlook-for-january-17-23-2015/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for January 23-29, 2016.” American Meteor Society. Jan. 22, 2016.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2016/01/meteor-activity-outlook-for-january-23-29-2016/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for January 24-30, 2015.” American Meteor Society. Jan. 22, 2015.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2015/01/meteor-activity-outlook-for-january-24-30-2015/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for January 27-February 2, 2018.” American Meteor Society. Jan. 25, 2018.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2018/01/meteor-activity-outlook-for-january-27-february-2-2018/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for January 28-February 3, 2017.” American Meteor Society. Jan. 27, 2017.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/01/meteor-activity-outlook-for-january-28-february-3-2017/

Lunsford, Robert. “Meteor Activity Outlook for January 30-February 5, 2016.” American Meteor Society. Jan. 31, 2016.
Available @ https://www.amsmeteors.org/2016/01/meteor-activity-outlook-for-january-30-february-5-2016/

Lunsford, Robert. Meteors and How to Observe Them. Astronomers’ Observing Guides. New York NY: Springer Science+Business Media, 2009.

Marriner, Derdriu. "2019 January Comae Berenicids Shower Earth’s Skies Jan. 20 to Jan. 27." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-january-comae-berenicids-shower.html

Molau, Sirko; Stefano Crivello; Rui Goncalves; Carlos Saraiva; Enrico Stomeo; Javor Kac. “Results of the IMO Video Meteor Network -- February 2017.” WGN, vol. 45, no. 4 (August 2017): 82-86.
Available via IMO @ https://www.imo.net/publications/wgn/

Molau, Sirko; Javor Kac; Erno Berko; Stefano Crivello; Enrico Stomeo; Antal Igaz; Geert Barentsen; Rui Goncalves. “Results of the IMO Video Meteor Network -- January 2013.” WGN, vol. 41, no. 2 (April 2013): 61-66.
Available via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2013JIMO...41...61M.pdf
Available via IMO @ https://www.imo.net/publications/wgn/

“Moon Phases February 2019.” Calendar-12.com > Moon Calendar > 2019.
Available @ https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_calendar/2019/february

“Moon Phases January 2019.” Calendar-12.com > Moon Calendar > 2019.
Available @ https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_calendar/2019/january

SETI Institute @SETIInstitute. "Meet a SETI Institute Scientist! Peter Jenniskens, senior research scientist at the Carl Sagan Center of the SETI Institute. Peter is best known for his recovery of fragments of asteroid 2008 TC3 in the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan. This was the first time that an asteroid was spotted in space, observed by telescopes, then samples retrieved for study. Peter also participated the field study of the Chelyanbinsk airburst in Russia. He also currently runs the Cameras for Allsky Meteor Surveillance project in northern California. Full details here: http://buff.ly/1pl7Gso." Facebook. March 29, 2014.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/SETIInstitute/photos/a.123276420534/10152310512255535/

SonotaCo. “A Meteor Shower Catalog Based on Video Observations in 2007-2008.” WGN, vol. 37, no. 2 (April 2009): 55-62.
Available via IMO (International Meteor Organization) @ https://www.imo.net/publications/wgn/

Steakley, Kathryn; P.M. Jenniskens. “Discovery of the February Epsilon Virginids (FEV, IAU#506).” American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #221, id.353.11 (The Solar System and Astrobiology). Long Beach CA: American Astronomical Society, Jan. 9, 2013.
Available via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013AAS...22135311S
Available via American Astronomical Society @ https://aas.org/meetings/aas221/science_program

Steakley, Kathryn; P.M. Jenniskens. “Discovery of the February Epsilon Virginids (FEV, IAU#506).” WGN, vol. 41, no. 4 (August 2013): 109-111.
Available via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?2013JIMO...41..109S.pdf
Available via IMO (International Meteor Organization) @ https://www.imo.net/publications/wgn/

Wright, W.H. (William Hammond); S. (Sturla) Einarsson; H.M. (Hamilton Moore) Jeffers. “Report of the Comet Medal Committee.” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, vol. 52, no. 305 (February 1940): 54-58.
Available via JSTOR @ https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40031483