Meteors: Light from Comets and Asteroids (original) (raw)

Meteoroids and Meteors — Observations and Connection to Parent Bodies

Lecture Notes in Physics, 2009

Meteoroid are a small rocky bodies traveling through interplanetary space. Meteors are phenomena caused by the interaction of meteoroids with the Earth's upper atmosphere. In this chapter, the author will briefly discuss observational methods and then concentrate on optical observations of meteors. First, the basic properties of meteor phenomenon in the atmosphere and classification of meteoroids are introduced and then coincidental phenomena, e.g., wake, jets, and train, are mentioned. Scientific observations (imaging and spectroscopy) carried out using various observational techniques allow measuring characteristics of meteoroids, e.g., orbits, density, strength, compositions. All information are potentially useful for investigating parent bodies of meteoroids, such as comets and asteroids. Searching for organics-related CHON and water in meteoroids is of particular interest for astrobiology.

Spectral and orbital survey of medium-sized meteoroids

Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2019

Aims. We investigate the spectra, material properties, and orbital distribution of millimeter- to decimeter-sized meteoroids. Our study aims to distinguish the characteristics of populations of differently sized meteoroids and reveal the heterogeneity of identified meteoroid streams. We verify the surprisingly large ratio of pure iron meteoroids on asteroidal orbits detected among mm-sized bodies. Methods. Emission spectra and multi-station meteor trajectories were collected within the AMOS network observations. The sample is based on 202 meteors of −1 to −14 magnitude, corresponding to meteoroids of mm to dm sizes. Meteoroid composition is studied by spectral classification based on relative intensity ratios of Na, Mg, and Fe and corresponding monochromatic light curves. Heliocentric orbits, trajectory parameters, and material strengths inferred from empirical KB and PE parameters were determined for 146 meteoroids. Results. An overall increase of Na content compared to the populat...

The meteoroid environment near Earth

Advances in Space Research, 1997

An upgraded model of the interplanetary meteoroid environment, which is based on the 'Five populations of interplanetary meteoroids' model of , has been developed to synthesize data from in-situ detection by spacecraft, meteor observations, groundbased zodiacal light, and analysis of lunar microcraters. New model populations have been defined taking into account particle impact velocities and impact directions measured with GALILEO and ULYSSES dust detectors. Both, elliptical and hyperbolic meteoroid populations have been included considering the radiation pressure of the Sun. Particle fluxes for different mass thresholds have been calculated for surface elements of satellites retrieved from space (LDEF, EuReCa and HST solar array) taking into account both gravitational focusing and planetary shielding of the Earth.

The Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration

The 'Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration' (IMEX) project, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to characterize dust trails and streams produced by comets in the inner solar system. We are therefore developing a meteoroid stream model that consists of a large database of cometary streams from all known comets in the inner solar system. This model will be able to predict meteor showers from most known comets, that can be observed anywhere in the inner solar system, at any time 1980-2080. This is relevant for investigating meteor showers on the Earth, on other planets, or at spacecraft locations. Such assessment of the dust impact hazard to spacecraft is particularly important in the context of human exploration of the solar system.

Comets, asteroids, meteorites: Interrelations, evolution and origins

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1978

IN THE SUMMER of 1976 the International Astronomical Union held their Colloquium No. 39 on the "Relationships between Comets, Minor Planets and Meteorites" in Lyon, France. It had become obvious to many workers in the areas of solar system evolution that these bodies may be related in some manner, despite the apparent complex history which each possesses. The new book results from this International Colloquium, and is more than its mere Proceedings. Of the 109 papers submitted to the Editor, only 74 contributions have been included in the volume. Most authors updated their contributions during the revision process. The Editor has kept only those that were useful to give the atmosphere of the meeting. Editor A. H. Delsemme is to be congratulated on producing the first complete book devoted to the relationships between comets, asteroids and meteorites. For a book of 600 photo-offset papers, the text is remarkably free of errors. The rapid publication of the book is commendable and, in fact. some of the late modifications to the manuscripts were made in early summer. 1977. The book is as up-to-date as possible. As noted by the Editor, some of the original ideas that go astray from traditional paths have survived refereeing, even when their evidence was soft or dubious. Thus, there are different sides to some arguments presented. In a field where little is known, the Editor felt that constraints should not be removed at any cost for the sake of polishing the paradigm of accepted knowl

Division F Commission 22: Meteors, Meteorites, and Interplanetary Dust

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

Commission 22 (Meteors, Meteorites and Interplanetary Dust) was established at the first IAU General Assembly held in Rome in 1922, with William Frederick Denning as its first President. Denning was an accountant by profession, but as an amateur astronomer he contributed extensively to meteor science. Commission 22 thus established a pattern that has continued to this day that non-professional astronomers were welcomed and valued and could play a significant role in its affairs. The field of meteors, meteorites and interplanetary dust has played a disproportional role in the astronomical perception of the general public through the majestic displays of our annual meteor showers. Those in the field deployed many techniques uncommon in other fields of astronomy, studying the “vermin of space”, the small solid bodies that pervade interplanetary space and impact Earth's atmosphere, the surface of the Moon, and that of our satellites in orbit. Over time, the field has tackled a wide ...

Meteorites from the outer solar system

2008

We investigate the possibility that a small fraction of meteorites originate from the outer solar system, ie, from the Kuiper belt, the Oort cloud, or from the Jupiter-family comet reservoir. Dynamical studies and meteor observations show that it is possible for cometary solid fragments to reach Earth with a velocity not unlike that of asteroidal meteorites. Cosmochemical data and orbital studies identify CI1 chondrites as the best candidates for being cometary meteorites.