Perseid spectrum captured

Well I struck lucky last night and among all the planes and satellites I
managed to bag a spectrum of a bright Perseid at 22:59 UT. Full details and
the image and spectrum are on my website.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/...spectra_20.htm

Robin

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Robin Leadbeater
54.75N 3.24W
http://www.leadbeaterhome.fsnet.co.uk/astro.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin Leadbeater wrote:
Well I struck lucky last night and among all the planes and satellites I
managed to bag a spectrum of a bright Perseid at 22:59 UT. Full details and
the image and spectrum are on my website.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/...spectra_20.htm

Robin


Robin,

That's a great result and a very clear summary. You are showing six
emission peaks. Have you tried to determine which molecules they
correspond to? For example, is the 6357-Angstrom peak atomic Oxygen
(really at 6300 Angstroms)?

Tom

"Tom Polakis" wrote in message
oups.com...
Robin Leadbeater wrote:
Well I struck lucky last night and among all the planes and satellites I
managed to bag a spectrum of a bright Perseid at 22:59 UT. Full details
and
the image and spectrum are on my website.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/...spectra_20.htm

Robin


Robin,

That's a great result and a very clear summary. You are showing six
emission peaks. Have you tried to determine which molecules they
correspond to? For example, is the 6357-Angstrom peak atomic Oxygen
(really at 6300 Angstroms)?


Thanks Tom,

I am completely new to this branch of astronomy/spectrography so I am
learning as I go along. The spectrum is going to be a combination of
emissions from the meteor and from the atmosphere. Oxygen should be in
there somewhere so you could well be be right. I suspect identifying the
origin of the lines is going to be largely guesswork because of the very low
dispersion, but I am open to suggestions from the experts ;-)

Robin

in article , Tom
Polakis at wrote on 8/13/05 20:27:

Robin Leadbeater wrote:
Well I struck lucky last night and among all the planes and satellites I
managed to bag a spectrum of a bright Perseid at 22:59 UT. Full details and
the image and spectrum are on my website.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/...spectra_20.htm

Robin


Robin,

That's a great result and a very clear summary. You are showing six
emission peaks. Have you tried to determine which molecules they
correspond to? For example, is the 6357-Angstrom peak atomic Oxygen
(really at 6300 Angstroms)?

Tom

The first image shows a trailing single line. This is probably the O I
3F forbidden auroral green line of Oxygen at 557.7 nm bracketed by Na I and
Mg I. This is often present in meteors with velocities of over 40 km/sec.
You can compare this to a higher resolution image intensifier Leonid
spectrum on my home page at: http://members.shaw.ca/epmajden/index.htm
This O I line at 557.7 nm was first identified by Canadian meteor
spectroscopist Dr. Ian Halliday, now retired from NRCC Upper Atmosphere
Research Section. Ian was a co-worker with meteor spectroscopy pioneer, the
late Dr. Peter M. Millman. Millman set the standards for research in meteor
spectroscopy back in the early 1930's while attending Harvard University.
Harlow Shapely asked Peter to study the few spectra (around 8) that they
knew about and this led to Millman's life long study of meteor spectra.

Ed Majden B.C. - Fireball Network Coordinator - AMS Meteor Spectroscopy
Project Coordinator.

West Coast Sandia Bolide Detection Station
Courtenay B.C. CANADA

"Ed Majden" wrote in message
...


The first image shows a trailing single line. This is probably the O
I
3F forbidden auroral green line of Oxygen at 557.7 nm bracketed by Na I
and
Mg I.

Thanks for pointing that out Ed. The spectrum I took was at the brightest
point of the flare. I will have a go at producing spectra at different
points along the track.

That is what I find so fascinating about this hobby - as soon as you make a
move into a new area, it is a chance to start learning all over again :-)

Robin

"Ed Majden" wrote in message news:BF24B232.39CC5%


The first image shows a trailing single line. This is probably the O
I
3F forbidden auroral green line of Oxygen at 557.7 nm bracketed by Na I
and
Mg I. This is often present in meteors with velocities of over 40 km/sec.


Now updated with an animation showing the development of the spectrum along
the meteor track
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/...spectra_20.htm
It does indeed show a single line near 558nm +- calibration error before the
meteor flares

Thanks for the help Ed
Robin