Determination of atmospheric velocity of bright meteors on the basis of high-resolution light curves

Abstract

We introduce a new method for the determination of the atmospheric velocity of bright meteors (fireballs). The method uses high-time-resolution light curves of fireballs and photographic or digital records of the fireballs where dynamics data are not available, i.e. a rotating shutter was not used. Simultaneous identification of flares or other unambiguous events is needed on both the light curve and the photographic or digital record. These events, flares for instance, serve as time-marks and substitute the artificial rotating shutter time-marks. We studied the method on nine selected fireballs that fulfill the above conditions, occupy a wide interval of possible initial velocities (from 14.5 to 50 km s-1), and are of a different orbital origin (cometary and asteroidal). The method provides correct velocities with scatter of a few km s-1 around the average value that corresponds to the rotating shutter velocity. © 2013 ESO.