Abstract
A random sample of 286 sporadic meteors is analyzed to provide a velocity distribution free of observational bias. The sample is divided into small velocity intervals which are seen to be free of selection effects for meteors of photographic magnitude 1 and brighter. From these a velocity distribution at constant magnitude is then obtained. By means of an empirical formula relating magnitude, mass, velocity, and radiant zenith angle, the velocity distribution at constant mass is obtained. An average velocity of 16.5 km/sec for sporadic meteors is obtained. In addition, the influx rate of meteors as a function of magnitude is converted to a function of meteor mass. The cumulative rate is given by log N = −1.21 log m - 4.29.
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