Earth-grazing fireball of October 13, 1990
Abstract
A fireball of -6 absolute magnitude, which left the atmosphere again after appearing at heights of around 100 km above Czechoslovakia and Poland was photographed at two Czech stations of the European Fireball Network. The body travelled a 409-km luminous trajectory in 9.8 seconds with initial velocity of 41.7 km/s. The type I fireball was produced by a meteoroid mass of 44 kg, from which only 0.35 kg were ablated. The meteoroid left the Earth in a changed orbit and with solidified fusion crust on its surface. Detailed data on the fireball trajectory and both the encounter and outcast orbits are given. A special method for long trajectory determination of nearly horizontal motion was invented. This method is based on angular velocity measurements from the excellent record of one station combined with one direction derived from the not-so-good record of the other station and computes pericenter position of Keplerian motion from observations very close to this point.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- April 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992A&A...257..323B
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Entry;
- Meteoroids;
- Trajectory Analysis;
- Angular Velocity;
- Astronomical Photography;
- Orbital Mechanics;
- Visual Observation;
- Astronomy