The meteoroid stream of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, Perseids, and further related meteor showers

Abstract

The meteoroid stream of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, the well-known parent body of the Perseids, #7, is studied. The meteoroids released from the comet’s surface more than about 20kyr ago evolved to orbits similar to the mean orbits of 49 Andromedids, #549, and, possibly, also of the o-Aurigids, #696. These showers are similar to the Perseids and can be regarded as Perseid sub-structures. Interestingly, the modeled, as well as the real, o-Aurigids have a smaller perihelion distance. If they are regarded as a sub-structure of the Perseids, then we can speak about the bimodal structure of this major shower. Some meteoroids of the 109P’s stream, which could evolve over a longer period than about 40kyr, moved into the orbits on which they approach the Earth from the southern sky. They constitute a further shower related to 109P, the o-Hydrids, #569. We found an indication that the January β-Craterids, #582, moving in orbits similar to the o-Hydrids, could also be related to the comet. The radiant areas of the Perseids, 49 Andromedids and o-Aurigids are symmetrical to the radiant areas of the o-Hydrids and January β-Craterids in respect to the apex of the Earth’s heliocentric motion.