[meteorite-list] Daytime meteor observed by the Norwegian meteor network

From: Steinar Midtskogen <steinar_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:21:33 +0100
Message-ID: <87wpt9rrz6.fsf_at_latinitas.org>

Thank you, and in case anyone is interested I can give some technical
details for the network that we're currently building in Norway.

We do not use allsky cameras, but rather a combination of wide angle
cameras. We currently use four 5 MP IP cameras to cover the entire sky.
Each record video in 2560x1920 resolution, 5 frames per second (we can
increase that to 10 frames per second, but due to some technical issues
we don't then get continuous exposure). This setup gives us better
resolution in particular near the horizon where most meteors are seen,
and I believe it also works better in winter conditions.

The cameras are calibrating using the Hugin/panotools software (written
for panorama stitching but works well for us as well!) and
astrometry.net. The grid you see was made from a model of the lens
based on a few thousand star positions. We obtain an accuracy of a few
arc minutes in many cases.

Hugin/panotools also make it trivial to change the projection of the
images into a gnonomic projection (which straightens the meteor paths),
making analysis much more convenient.

We run the software on credit card size computers (currently Odroid
XU4), simplifying maintenance and keeping costs down. Video gets stored
on cheap external hard drives (a few TB can store a couple of months of
video).

We currently have three stations, but more are on their way and we
cooperate (observations and software) with the Swedish, Danish and
Finnish networks.

Here's an example of a Taurid detected by all three stations last night:

 http://norskmeteornettverk.no/meteor/20151122/173455/

This is work in progress.

Meteor detections are automatically reported to this page:

 http://norskmeteornettverk.no/meteor/

-Steinar

ian macleod <ianmacca81 at hotmail.com> writes:

> Hi Steinar Midtskogen, thank you for sharing this data and superb cam
> image! A very clear daytime fireball indeed! Not to worry that the
> stones for this one landed at sea, eventually one will be detected and
> meteorite(s) will be located. These all European networks and the
> Desert networks being built on large scale here in Australia are the
> cutting edge of Meteoritics! Exciting times to not just find
> meteorites but to also back track them to their parent bodies in our
> solar system. The grid system on the cam image is nice, I like it! You
> may have already seen the work being done in Australia, mainly Western
> and South Australia. The project is called the DFN or Desert Fireball
> Network. Upon completion it will consist of 50-70 cameras spread
> across about 1/3 of Australia. The DFN data is streamed to the Czech
> Republic researchers and also to the Australian network leader Prof
> Phil Bland in Perth. Information is or will be processed via a super
> computer in WA also that is used for the Square Kilometer Array.
> http://fireballsinthesky.com.au/ Thank you again for sharing your
> website and info, keep us updated! Kind Regards Ian Macleod
>
>
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Received on Mon 23 Nov 2015 04:21:33 AM PST