Low meteor activity overall and often the worst of the cold, cloudy winter weather can make February seem a wasted month for some observers, but like a keen gardener, a real meteor enthusiast can always find something to do even when forced indoors. There is always some background reading to catch up on, or new radiant charts to prepare, and this is also a good time to refresh your observing technique by re-reading your Observing Meteors booklet, free to all new Section members. An overhaul of your observing kit can be done profitably now as well, and any repairs carried out. Observationally, there is still some weak shower activity to look out for on any clearer nights, and February sometimes brings more sporadic fireballs than normal, as seen in most recent years; the Bright Fireballs from the UK, February 8 and 9, 2001 page of this website has some good examples. If you're planning a trip south to warmer climes in February, you might look out for the largely moonless α Centaurids, as detailed below.

Shower of the Month: The Virginids

A weak minor source, with a large diffuse radiant region near the ecliptic, the Virginids normally last from about late January through to mid-April, producing a variable number of low peaks between early March and early April. This is not a single shower, but a complex series of minor showers, some with multiple radiants, and even some radiants which do not seem to be active every year. Around February 15, the centre of their expected radiant region is at RA 11h15m, Dec +08 degrees, in southern Leo near the Virgo border, but Virginid meteors may seem to emanate from anywhere within roughly one hour of RA and ten degrees of Dec of this point. The radiant area is thus usefully on-view from 23h UT onwards during February, and dark-sky times away from the bright Moon in mid month should reveal rates up to 1-2 Virginids an hour at best (the marginally higher rates are more likely later in the month). Virginids are typically slow moving and a few can be bright to very bright.

α Centaurids: A Shower for Travellers

If you're planning a trip to the southern hemisphere at any time of year, don't forget there are some meteor showers which can only be seen from such parts of the world. Contact the SPA Meteor Section for advice on what showers may be on-view when you're planning your trip, or check the Meteor Shower Calendar section of the International Meteor Organization's Website at: http://www.imo.net. Here, we highlight one southern-sky shower to look out for in February, the α Centaurids.

From past observations, this shower should be active between January 28 and February 21, and is expected to reach its maximum on February 8, at around 05h UT in 2006. On February 7, the shower's radiant is at RA 14h00m, Dec -59 degrees, confusingly less than two degrees north-west of the bright star β (not α!) Centauri. The meteors are typically swift, like the July-August Perseids, and often bright. Indeed in the past, the α Centaurids have been noted for producing many bright to fireball-class meteors. Their activity can be very variable, in many years giving Zenithal Hourly Rates (ZHRs) of 5-10 or so, but occasionally, as in 1974 and 1980, bursts of a few hours' duration have seen peak ZHRs shoot up to 25-30. Sketchy details from southern hemisphere observers in more recent years have suggested the shower has been scarcely noticeable however, and this is something badly in need of investigation, as with many of the very southerly showers. The radiant is circumpolar from a good part of the southern hemisphere, and reaches a healthy elevation from the late evening hours onwards, to be highest near dawn. With a waxing gibbous Moon at the peak, setting between midnight and 1 a.m. for typical mid southern latitude sites, conditions are good for watching throughout the second half of the night. Given the state of our ignorance on this source, we have no way to tell when another outburst might occur, so always a shower to watch from suitable places.

Good luck and clear skies!

Compiled by Alastair McBeath, SPA Meteor Section Director. Email:

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