[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: (meteorobs) Prairie Meteor Network

Hi George,

> Does anybody know how the camera's for the Prairie Meteor Network were
> secured from theft or protected from the weather? Also, how was the film
> automatically advanced and how was the start/stop times and meteor times
> recorded?
> This goes for other Meteor Network stations as well...both past and present.

in the EN two types of cameras are used. The 12 Czech stations are
equipped with Zeiss Distagon fish-eye lenses. They work only when clear
skies are expected. The 22 stations maintained by the German DLR, however,
have been employing all-sky mirrors since their foundation 30 years ago.
These stations make one exposure each night regardsless of weather. The
camera's shutter is controlled by a digital clock, the transport of the
film is done manually each day by the station representative. So far
as I know, these cameras are not protected from weather in any way.
Timing for the Czech stations is obtained using a pair of guided/unguided 
cameras at one central location. For the German station there is no such
scheme. Here the times come from occasional witnesses of the fireballs.
By the way, the EN is completed by a number of fireball cameras operated
by different amateurs. German meteor observers from the AKM have an own
small network of 4 or 5 fireball cameras, which use wide-angle or fish-eye
lenses. They are operated as often as the owner of the camera has the time
to do so. Furthermore, the DMS in the Netherlands has an own small network
of fireball cameras, for which I currently have no further information. 
You see, that central Europe is covered quite good in this respect, and
cooperation between the different groups works fortunately fine. Often
cameras from the different networks contribute to joint studies of the
most spectacular events. The last example was a -10 mag kappa-Cygnid which
appeared on August 18, 1996, near Goettingen/Germany. It was seen by
several visual observers and recorded by no less than 15 different
fireball cameras!
Sirko

PS: I will setup an EN homepage in the next few days. There you will find
more information on the 'European Fireball Network'.


************************************************************************** 
*           Sirko Molau             *                    __              *  
*          Str.246 Nr.16            *             " 2B v 2B "            * 
*          D-13086 Berlin           *                                    * 
*        sirko.molau@dlrdot de         *                       Shakespeare  *
*      http://www.snafudot de/~smo     *                                    *
**************************************************************************
References: