(meteorobs) Optimized filters for daytime fireball video capture?

[Swift, Wesley R. (MSFC-EV44)[Raytheon - Jacobs]]

This is a contrast problem and is made difficult by the broad-band thermal nature of both the meteor and the sky background.  The characteristic lines are all in the UV which is a problem for all but expensive, solar-blind UV intensified cameras.  The sky is blue and polarized in some directions making a combination of red filters with a polarizer rotated to darken the sky.   Polarization only works well in certain directions so this is not much help for an all sky camera. Only rare, really bright bolides are detectable so I guess this is why cameras used in the day are called "fire-ball" cameras.

Wes

-----Original Message-----
From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org [mailto:meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Ashcraft
Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 10:14 AM
To: Global Meteor Observing Forum
Subject: (meteorobs) Optimized filters for daytime fireball video capture?

I am wondering if anyone has experimented with infrared or any other 
special optical filters that would be *optimum* for detecting daytime 
fireballs? I am wondering if a filter could be made specifically for the 
wavelengths of meteor burn signatures so as to make the meteors visible 
in the midst of a bright daylight sky?

I have used a red filter for my own all-sky video camera and have tried 
to detect daytime fireballs at times of forward scatter radio receptions 
when I knew that fireballs were above in my local daylight sky but I 
have been unsuccessful at distinguishing any meteors thus far. Hence, I 
wonder at filter and wavelength optimization.

Has this been worked on?

Thanks in advance for any information or thoughts on the subject.

Thomas Ashcraft  /  New Mexico
_______________________________________________
Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs