(meteorobs) "Corkscrew Meteor" on Space.com Image of the Day 7thJan

[Jim Pettit]

I'm not a firm proponent or opponent of the 'corkscrewing' meteor theory; as
I wrote, I've never seen one. But others have, and some have even imaged
them. So rather than dismiss the phenomenon in the photo in question
outright as camera or drive shake, I'd like to at last keep my mind open to
the possibility that it was real.

Richard wrote: "...it would take a truly bizarre set of coincidences to
produce a trajectory consitent with the image, i.e. a corkscrew with a
fairly constant radius but inconstant period." A 'truly bizarre set of
coincidences'? Or simply minor trajectory changes brought upon by
inconsistent ablation of the meteor manifested as real sinusoidal
displacement?

Too, the fact that the blurring of the stars seems to be in parallel with
the axis of the corkscrewing doesn't automatically mean they'reone and the
same, does it?

Pity the frame didn't capture another perfectly linear meteor, isn't it?
Anyway, enough out of me...

-----Original Message-----
From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org
[mailto:meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of R Kramer
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 4:01 PM
To: Global Meteor Observing Forum
Subject: RE: (meteorobs) "Corkscrew Meteor" on Space.com Image of the Day
7thJan

> The apparent blurring of the star images which appears to be coangular
> with the corkscrew axis would seem to support the suggestion that periodic
> camera displacement (i.e. vibration) is a likely explanation. Further,
> there is no reason that any such displacement need manifest as a single
> frequency, sinusoidal displacement. If more than one resonance were active
> (not unlikely) net camera displacement, and the resulting corkscrew, could
> easily appear to be "irregular" in amplitude or period or both.

> Even granting the assumption that a source of lateral acceleration
> sufficient to produce a corkscrew trajectory could exist, it would take a
> truly bizarre set of coincidences to produce a trajectory consitent with
> the image, i.e. a corkscrew with a fairly constant radius but inconstant
> period.

Richard

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