Orbit and radiant of sporadic fireball imaged by the Spanish meteor network

Abstract

The development of a network of meteor observing stations allows for a continuous monitoring of meteor phenomena. One of the main goals of the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN) is the analysis of the physico-chemical properties of meteoroids from multiple station data. This provides useful data to improve our knowledge about meteoroid streams and meteoroids of sporadic origin, so that we can reach a better understanding of the mechanisms that deliver these materials to the Earth. In fact, the orbits of large sporadic meteoroids are an important source of impact hazard on the surfaces of artificial satellites. We have started a continuous monitoring program in order to get very reliable orbital data of such a stochastic source to be able to improve models of the meteoroid flux in the near-Earth environment [1]. We currently operate 29 meteor observing stations in Spain. Most of them employ high-sensitivity CCD video devices, although low-scan all-sky CCD cameras are also used. In this context, we have imaged on April 17, 2011 a four-station sporadic fireball with an absolute magnitude of about -7±1. The analysis of this bolide is presented here.