(meteorobs) Green Fireballs

Ed Majden epmajden at shaw.ca
Thu Jan 27 12:23:52 EST 2011


Hello Members:
	I have been following this discussion about so called "Green  
Fireballs".  This is nothing unusual.  Mg I in the green region of the  
spectrum is a major contributer  along with other lines in this  
region.  The eye is also very sensitive to the green region.  I really  
don;t think "green fireballs" are unusual as far as I know.  Green can  
be also strong if fast fireballs >40 km/sec and the contributer here  
could be the forbidden line of Oxygen at 557.7 n.m.   I have checked  
with Bob Lunsford from the AMS and Dr. Jiri Borovicka, meteor  
scientist, at Ondrejov.   Both agree with my comments.  Jiri's comment  
is noted below.

Quote:


I share your view that green fireballs are nothing special.
There are some suspicions that fireballs reported by eyewitnesses to be
deeply green are not ordinary meteoric fireballs but a different
phenomenon, perhaps related to atmospheric electricity. I do not think
so. All fireballs we ever photographed were "normal".

Also see: Astron Astrophys. 279, 627-645 (1993),  A Fireball Spectrum  
Analysis by Jiri Borovicka

Best regards:

Ed Majden  -  Amateur Meteor Spectroscopist - Asteroid Majden 142368 -  
RASC Chant Medal 2006
Courtenay, B.C. CANADA

http://members.shaw.ca/epmajden/

http://www.bcmeteors.net/




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