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(meteorobs) Re: NRL Instrument Makes First UV Observation of Meteor in Space
The news of this latest result was VERY exciting! However, this line:
> "Ground-based observations of meteors cannot detect many of the
> important elements and compounds expected to be present in meteoroids."
really gave me pause. Ed and others, is it in fact true that ground-based
visible and IR meteor spectra are useless for studying certain constituent
elements in the meteoroid itself?? Why would this be so - are the V and IR
lines of recombination for these elements in the meteoroid masked by the
presence of those same elements in the ionized air column surrounding the
meteor's entry? If so, why would this not also be the case in the far UV,
making space-based detection just as difficult?
Or are there in fact UV emission lines for meteoroid consituents which
do not have corresponding lines in the V or near IR bands?
[Now if the above statement were NOT correct, which I would doubt, would
anyone be willing to make a pointed rebuttal to this public release? :)
After all there's too little support for ground-based meteor research as
it is, for us to allow its value to be downplayed in the public media.]
Just a curious question!
Lew Gramer
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