The Epsilon Arietids

Observing

This daylight shower possesses a duration extending from April 25 to May 27. At maximum on May 9 it has an average radiant of RA=44 deg, DECL=+21 deg. This stream might be associated with the Southern Taurid stream of November.

History

The discovery of this daylight meteor shower should be attributed to C. S. Nilsson (University of Adelaide, South Australia). During the interval of May 19-27, 1961, his radio equipment detected six members of this stream, which indicated a radiant of RA=58.8 deg, DECL=+23.7 deg. Nilsson commented that W. G. Elford had "reanalyzed the data using the stream search program of Southworth and Hawkins and suggests that the May day-time shower...is due to the S. Taurid stream...." Nilsson commented that the agreement was good when the angular elements of the orbits were considered, but said the eccentricity was "slightly low." It should be pointed out that the radio equipment did not operate during May 1-18, so it is possible that the shower could have been active sooner than indicated.

The Epsilon Arietids were next detected in 1969, during the second session of the Radio Meteor Project. Zdenek Sekanina analyzed the data obtained by the equipment at Havana, Illinois, and noted that meteors were detected during the interval of April 25 to May 22. The established date of the nodal passage was given as May 8.5, at which time the radiant was RA=43.6 deg, DECL=+20.9 deg. It should be noted that the radar did not operate during May 24-June 1.