Coma Berenicids [SEP] constellation
Coma Berenicids
Comae Berenicids (IMO designation: COM; IAU shower number: 20) is a minor meteor shower with a radiant in the constellation Coma Berenices. The shower appears from December 12 to December 23 with the estimated maximum around December 16. The radiant at that time is located at α=175°, δ=+18°. The shower's population index is 3.0 with the speed of .
The Comae Berenicids were first detected within the framework of Harvard Radio Meteor Project. The shower's existence was discovered by Richard Eugene McCrosky
. They may be related to the September Epsilon Perseids, though they are more similar to the Coma Berenicids in that the Delta Aurigids last longer and have a dearth of bright meteors. They too have a hypothesized connection to an unknown short period retrograde comet. The Iota Aurigids are a hypothesized shower occurring in mid-November; its parent body may be the asteroid 2000 NL10, but this connection is highly disputed. The hypothesized Iota Aurigids may instead be a faint stream of Taurids.
See also.
- Psi Aurigae