Radar observations of meteors

An investigation of short-duration radio echoes observed at 4 to 5 metres wavelength in the neighbourhood of the E region of the ionosphere is described. Observations by vertical beam radio equipments showed that the echoes occurred most frequently at a height of about 95 km. Marked directional characteristics were revealed by the use of equipments with oblique beams, the diurnal variations being different on different bearings. Analysis of the results has indicated the close link in characteristics of these echoes and meteors, and has thus confirmed the suggestion of meteoric origin which has been made by some previous workers. A detailed correlation is demonstrated in the present investigation and a method is described for the determination of the radiants of the most active meteor streams. Further, a determination of geocentric velocities was made possible by the introduction of improved photographic techniques for the observation of the Giacobinid meteor shower in October 1946.