Space Nomads: Meteorites in Sky, Field, and Laboratory — John Shaqi
Space Nomads: Meteorites in Sky, Field, and LaboratoryLaPaz, Lincoln
Science
Space Nomads: Meteorites in Sky, Field, and Laboratory
LaPaz, Lincoln
Meteorites
If, in addition to compass directions to the observed endpoint,
scientists can also obtain the apparent _elevation_, in degrees, of this
point as seen by the various eyewitnesses, then with the help of a
little trigonometry, they can fix the position _in space_ of the
end-point itself rather than the position of its _projection_ on the
surface of the earth.
This same procedure can be followed in fixing the space-position of any
well-observed point on the fireball path. It therefore becomes possible
when _both_ elevations and compass directions are reported for several
points on the fireball path to determine the flight-path or, as it is
technically called, the _trajectory_, of the falling meteorite through
the atmosphere. Trajectory determinations are of great scientific value.
You can estimate the compass directions and elevations to the important
points on a meteorite trajectory at the actual time of fall. Or you can
have the scientific field party make or check your measurement at some
later time by setting up a surveying instrument at the very point from
which you saw the fireball.
The accuracy of your measurements can be improved if you have been able
to “line up” the point, L, at which you saw the fireball disappear, with
some familiar object on the horizon, such as a church steeple, a tall
tree, a telephone pole, or a lightning rod on a farm building. You will
recall that an eleven-year old girl provided one of the field parties
from the Institute of Meteoritics with an excellent observation of the
point of disappearance of the Norton fireball. She was able to do this
because she remembered just where it went out of sight behind a familiar
landmark.
[Illustration: Method for locating a point on a fireball path. (In
this case the point of disappearance, L.)
O₁ First observer.
A₁ Apparent height of point of disappearance (50°).
C₁ Compass direction of point of disappearance (N 62° W).
O₂ Second observer.
A₂ Apparent height of point of disappearance (45°).
C₂ Compass direction of point of disappearance (N 42° E).]
If the fall occurs at night, you can help investigators greatly if you
are familiar enough with the brighter stars to use them as “skymarks.”
You simply note as quickly and sharply as you can just where the
fireball path was in reference to those prominent stars. This alert
observation of yours will at least be a great aid to investigators who
are searching for meteorites that may have fallen from the fireball;
and, moreover, there is no telling what else your quick eye might have
captured for science.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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