Multi-instrumental observations of the 2014 Ursid meteor outburst

TL;DR

This study reports on multi-instrument observations of the 2014 Ursid meteor outburst, confirming its origin from a dust trail produced by comet 8P/Tuttle in 1392 A.D., and discusses the orbital data collected.

Contribution

The paper provides detailed multi-station observational data and confirms the dust trail origin of the 2014 Ursid outburst, supporting orbital resonance hypotheses.

Findings

Precise meteor trajectories and orbits were obtained despite weather challenges.

The 2014 outburst originated from a dust trail from 1392 A.D. comet debris.

Observations support the orbital resonance explanation for outbursts.

Abstract

The Ursid meteor shower is an annual shower that usually shows little activity. However, its Zenith Hourly Rate sometimes increases, usually either when its parent comet, 8P/Tuttle, is close to its perihelion or its aphelion. Outbursts when the comet is away from perihelion are not common and outburst when the comet is close to aphelion are extremely rare. The most likely explanation offered to date is based on the orbital mean motion resonances. The study of the aphelion outburst of December 2000 provided a means of testing that hypothesis. A new aphelion outburst was predicted for December 2014. The Spanish Meteor Network in collaboration with the French Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network set up a campaign to monitor this outburst and eventually retrieve orbital data that expands and confirms previous preliminary results and predictions. Despite unfavourable weather conditions over the South of Europe over the relevant time period precise trajectories from multi-station meteor data recorded over Spain were obtained, as well as orbital and radiant information for four Ursid meteors. The membership of these four meteors to the expected dust trails that were to provoke the outburst is discussed, and we characterize the origin of the outburst in the dust trail produced by the comet in the year 1392 A.D.