[meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites

From: webbth_at_appstate.edu <webbth_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:33 2004
Message-ID: <Pine.PMDF.4.21L.0203301114200.728403462-100000_at_appstate.edu>

Jim,
Normally objects which heat up faster also cool faster, so the dark,
metal-containing meteorites would probably cool off faster than the
surrounding sand or earth. They might still show up as a negative thermal
image however.
Thomas

Thomas H. Webb


On Sat, 30 Mar 2002, Meteorite1 wrote:

> MessageHello all,
>=20
> I know that I am not the rocket scientist here & this may be an overs=
implified theory but I have a picture of my house & my fathers house taken =
from a satellite in orbit. Now I may be wrong but I kinda think that if som=
eone is going to go to the trouble of putting millions of dollars of equipm=
ent into orbit that they would include thermal imaging as part of that inve=
ntory. Here is my thought, in the evening, at dusk when the desert floor is=
 no longer being heated by the sun wouldn't
> the sand, plants & surrounding landscape cool off faster than the darker=
 colored rocks (meteorites) with iron content? And if the meteorites did co=
ol slower or have a higher temp because of their darker color couldn't we p=
rint out a GPS based list of these thermal hot spots?
>=20
> This is just an idea considering that the technology I think is there is =
probably classified & we could never gain access to it anyway.
>=20
> Sincerely,
> Jim
> =20
> James Hartman
> themeteoritesite_at_hotmail.com
> www.meteorite1.net
> imca_509
> 8_at_hotmail.com (for IMCA member contact)
> =20
> Authenticity Guaranteed
> www.meteoritecollectors.org
>=20
>=20
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: dvail=20
> To: 'Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral'=20
> Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 1:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites
>=20
>=20
> Ok,
> =20
> A little more on my idea of how to search for meteorites in relatively =
high contrast, low noise areas like sand dunes. I realize that they won't =
be as easy to automatically recognize as a 10 foot dia
> meter shinny black fusion crusted meteorite in the middle of an Antarctic=
 ice field. However I do believe the following method will work and it wou=
ld be fun!
> =20
> Low cost ultra miniature UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) sometimes calle=
d MAVs (miniature aerial vehicle) are hand launched and belly landed and ha=
ve a range of about 50 miles. They can fly at an altitude of a few feet to=
 1000 feet. They can be either battery or liquid fuel powered (aerosol can=
). On board is a microcontroller, 4 mega-pixel d
> igital camera, GPS receiver, and 5 GHz 802.11a wireless LAN Interface cap=
able of transmitting 104 megabits per second. The wireless LAN Interface i=
s used for video transmission, streaming real-time telemetry and remote con=
trol. Remote control can be preformed in real-time by a person operating a=
 laptop with remote control software comprised of a video window and a 3d t=
opo map showing the real-time GPS position of the UAV and standard aeronaut=
ical controls (graphically simulated sticks, indicators and gaug
> es) The laptop computer is connected to an 802.11a access point with an =
attached pitch and rotation controlled directional high gain parabolic ante=
nna positioned at a pre-selected strategic high ground line of site vantage=
 point. The UAV control program running on the laptop can be configured to=
 automatically execute a standard systematic grid search pattern or an out =
and back modified grid/radial pattern planed around the range characteristi=
cs of the UAV. During the execution of the search pattern the l
> aptop records a series of overlapping snapshots stamped with GPS coordina=
te, UAV spatial orientation, date/time, and other pertinent information. A=
 pixel-pattern discrimination program reviews the snapshots (Photoshop on s=
teroids). The program allows the user to graphically select targets from a=
 database of object photos and parametric deviation criteria. The object d=
atabase contains key information on each photographed object in the databas=
e. The pixel pattern selection algorithm is adaptive and can ad
> just itself based on various prevailing conditions such as atmospheric, m=
eteorological, light, shadow, time of day, spatial orientation. It selects=
 suspects. Suspect targets are manually reviewed at high resolution. A la=
rger, more sophisticated UAV with a steerable zoom camera can be dispatched=
 to the GPS coordinates for a closer look at an interesting target. At tha=
t point, if things look good I think it would be ok to hop in the old dune =
buggy (local land use laws permitting) and have a look.
>=20
> =20
>=20
>=20
> This method could be refined and improved with practice to perhaps find=
 meteorites in lower contrast higher noise areas.
>=20
> =20
>=20
> Dan Vail
>=20
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>=20
Received on Sat 30 Mar 2002 10:18:23 AM PST