Computing Meteor Trajectory from Data for Two Stations?

[solarblast]

I'd like to compute a meteor trajectory from data gathered by two video camera.

One method I've recently considered but do not know much about it is to treat the meteor as an Earth satellite in a circular orbit. Once a great circle plane is found, then one could produce a ground track by projecting the segment of the track on the ground. A rough idea of the atmospheric trajectory could probably fitting the observational data projected on to the plane to a simple polynomial to it. Comments

Two methods similar in approach are available from Ceplecha. Google: ceplecha atmospheric trajectory of a meteoroid, for the first. He assumes no errors in the observations and constructs two planes. One through each ground station and the start and end points of the meteor. The intersection of the two planes contains the great circle plane of the meteor. From there, he is able to find the ground track using a variety of plane and coordinate calculations.

His other paper on this is much more comprehensive and rigorous. He assumes observation errors and extends the the number of stations beyond two. He is also able to compute the ground track, atmospheric trajectory, impact point (if meaningful), and orbit. He employs LSQ (least squares throughout). Sections 5 and 6 get into the plane intersection projections and trajectory methods, which are a bit more sticky than the other paper.

See <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1987BAICz..38..222C>

Comments?

 

[AndyW]

I would first commend you for considering multiple methods for computing the meteor trajectory from the data gathered by two video cameras. It is always beneficial to explore different approaches and compare their results to ensure accuracy and reliability.

The method you have described of treating the meteor as an Earth satellite in a circular orbit is certainly an interesting approach. However, it may not be the most accurate method for computing the trajectory of a meteor. Since meteors often follow non-circular and highly elliptical orbits, this method may not accurately capture the trajectory. Additionally, the assumption of treating the meteor as an Earth satellite may not take into account atmospheric drag and other factors that can affect the trajectory.

The papers by Ceplecha that you have mentioned seem to be more comprehensive and rigorous in their approach. The use of LSQ (least squares) method and considering observation errors are important in accurately computing the trajectory. It is also beneficial to have more than two ground stations for more precise calculations.

I would suggest exploring both methods and comparing their results to determine which one yields more accurate and reliable results. It would also be helpful to consult with other experts in the field and discuss the methods with them to gain further insights and recommendations. Overall, your approach of considering different methods and seeking input from the scientific community is commendable and will lead to more accurate and reliable results.