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2021 Aurigid Outburst Materializes
Miloslav Macháček photographed three bright and long Aurigid meteors from Býšť, Czechia, through high-altitude clouds (in the best window with relatively low amount of clouds). First one (right) at 23:25 CEST (21:25 UT). Second (left) and third (middle) meteors were shot both just about 15-20 s apart at 23:42 CEST (21:42 UT) - the third one was beautiful minus magnitude and long fireball. © Miloslav Macháček
A flurry of Aurigid meteors appeared near the predicted time of 21:35 Universal Time on the night of 31 August-1 September. Preliminary results received by the IMO indicates a peak centered at 21:40 UT with abnormal activity occurring for two hours centered on this time. Actual raw numbers of meteors were reduced by the low altitude of the radiant as seen from Europe, where all of the early results are based. Many observers also suffered from interfering clouds and a reduced limiting magnitude which further reduced the number of meteors visible. Most of the observed activity was bright with many observers mentioning several negative magnitude meteors. It's too early to mention a peak zenith hourly rate as more data is necessary to provide an accurate figure. Having witnessed two of these Aurigid outbursts myself, it is indeed exciting witness such a spectacle, even if it pales in comparison to the Leonid storms of twenty years ago.
Outburst also clearly materializes on radio echoes profiles as a sharp peak centered on solar longitude 158.4° (which equals 21h 35min UT), as seen on data issued by the International Project for Radio Meteor Observations (IPRMO).
On radio data collected by IPRMO network, AUR outburst clearly materializes as a sharp peak centered on solar longitude 158.4°. Credit: IPRMO