The length of ionized meteor trails

The length of meteor ionization columns is defined as the maximum possible separation of points along the trail from which normal-incidence radio reflections may be obtained, when a radio system of prescribed characteristics is used. A statistical method is employed to determine the relative frequency of trails of different lengths from simultaneous measurements made at two similar 23-megacycle meteor detection stations 100 km apart. For sixth magnitude meteors, a mean trail length of 25 or 30 km is obtained.