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(meteorobs) Single-station and Double-station

At 09:56 PM 12/11/99 -0600, Tom wrote: 
>>>>
I dont know what format your software is in and is probably over my head as
it has been 30 years since I really applied my math but perhaps you could
refer me to some elementary stuff along the lines of your reference to
McKinley 1961 so that I might stretch my mind a bit.
  
For all who read this. Is anyone currently attempting triangulation of
meteor burns. Would it be of value or merely redundant. I would entertain
the possibility of trying it with a collaborator if it would represent a
useful contribution. 
  
<<<<



Good morning, Tom,

The model that I am playing with currently resides in development form as a
worksheet in the mathematical program called Maple.  it is not based upon
double-station triangulation, but is instead based upon single-station
equations commonly used in photographic or video work, such as in the
video/computer systems developed by Pete Gural or Sirko Molau.  These
systems use the two-dimensional meteor data from a single station to (1)
obtain a shower identification match (for shower rate determinations), and
then (2) extract further information about the detected meteor (such as
light curve and meteor height information).  The second part of this
technique has been around for many years in photographic work, but the
recently developed clever bit is the replacement of a human shower match
determination with a software shower match determination.    Obviously,
there are limits to what can be done with a single-station set of
information (two dimensional spherical positions and position rate of
change), but these guys have stretched the technique to some new, very
useful levels.  

As an exercise in meteor simulation, I have taken the above technique and
worked it backwards -- beginning with a generated shower meteor having the
proper atmospheric characteristics, determine how this will look to a
single station on the ground.

for true meteor position, velocity, and orbital information, a
double-station setup is required.  This is all done either photographically
or via video systems these days, and the most prolific at using this
technique nowadays is the Dutch Meteor Society (DMS).  Attempting to do
this from visual plots might be a fun exercise, but will not have enough
accuracy to produce much in the way of scientifically useful results.  The
one area where an orbital solution might be attempted from visual accounts
is from a very bright fireball having no other instrument records beyond
eyewitnesses.  This is, however, a time consuming, frustrating, and
expensive exercise for those who undertake it -- although the easy and
rapid reporting capability of the Internet has made at least initial
assessments easier.  

Take care,

     Jim



James Richardson
Department of Physics
Florida State University (FSU)

Operations Manager 
American Meteor Society (AMS)
http://www.amsmeteors.org


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