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<H1>The Perseids are coming </H1>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Comet
Swift-Tuttle, the source of the annual Perseid meteor shower, and is expected to
peak today and tomorrow, 11th and 12th of August.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>According to Science at NASA, the Earth passes through the
densest part of the debris stream sometime on 12 August when dozens of meteors
can be seen per hour.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Perseids can appear in any part of the sky, their tails
all pointing back to the shower's radiant in the Perseus
constellation.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>For radio amateurs, meteor showers provide increased
opportunities for meteor scatter communication. Since 2000, several digital
modes implemented by computer programs have replaced voice and Morse code
communications in<BR>popularity.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>The most popular program is "Weak Signal Communication, by
K1JT" (WSJT) which offers specific digital protocols optimised for meteor
scatter, ionospheric scatter, EME at VHF/UHF, as well as HF sky wave
propagation. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>The programme can decode fraction-of-a-second signals
reflected from ionised meteor trails and steady signals 10 dB below the audible
threshold.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>More is online at:<BR></FONT><A
href="http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/Download.htm" target=_blank><FONT
face=Verdana>http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/Download.htm</FONT></A></P></BODY></HTML>