Fireball examples


Example 1:

The results of the following example was compared with the results of FIRBAL software, developed years ago at Ondrejov Observatory (Z. Ceplecha, private communication). The comparison is very good.


Fireball IT19980812

Year: 1998   Month: 8   Day: 12   UT: 21.820833

Observer 1

Lat: 45.412°   Long. 12.3687°  Quote: 10 m
Start AR: 30.819°  Start Dec: 47.220°
End AR: 59.941°    End Dec: 56.863°  Duration: 3 s

Observer 2

Lat: 46.203°   Long. 14.569°  Quote: 100 m
Start AR: 258.637°  Start Dec: 3.389°
End AR: 239.875°    End Dec: 8.812°  Duration: 3 s

Press "Trajectory". The output file is:

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FIREBALL ATMOSPHERIC TRAJECTORY - EARTH SPHERICAL MODELL 

Fireball V.6.0 

DATA OVER THE OBSERVED TRAJECTORY POINTS 

OBSERVER 1 

Distance between Observer 1 and his start trajectory point = 104.8 km
 
Latitude of start point (degree) = 45.89 
 
East Longitude of start point (degree) = 13.28 
 
Height above sea level of start point = 55.44 km
 
Trajectory inclination at start point(degree) = 19.44 
 

Distance between Observer 1 and his end trajectory point = 104.1 km
 
Latitude of end point (degree) = 46.13 
 
East Longitude of end point (degree) = 13.01 
 
Height above sea level of end point = 43.37 km
 
Trajectory inclination at end point (degree) = 19.13 
 

Trajectory Azimut at end point (N -> E) = 142.05 degree 
 
Lenght of the observed atmospheric trajectory = 36.52 km
 

OBSERVER 2 

Distance between Observer 2 and his start trajectory point = 120.4 km
 
Latitude of start point (degree) = 45.69 
 
East Longitude of start point (degree) = 13.50 
 
Height above sea level of start point = 65.46 km
 
Trajectory inclination at start point(degree) = 19.69 
 

Distance between Observer 2 and his end trajectory point = 121.1 km
 
Latitude of end point (degree) = 45.96 
 
East Longitude of end point (degree) = 13.20 
 
Height above sea level of end point = 51.85 km
 
Trajectory inclination at end point (degree) = 19.35 
 

Trajectory Azimut at end point (N -> E) = 142.18 degree 
 
Lenght of the observed atmospheric trajectory = 40.74 km
 


Mean inclination above Earth surface = 19.41 degree
 
Mean Azimut (N -> E) of the apparent radiant = 142.12 degree
 


PARAMETERS OF THE FIREBALL ATMOSPHERIC TRAJECTORY 

Minimum height above Earth surface = 0.02 km
 
Latitude of minimum height = 47.041 degree
 
East Longitude of minimum height = 11.969 degree
 
Trajectory inclination above Earth surface at minimum point = 17.98 degree
 
Azimut (N -> E) of the apparent radiant at minimum point = 140.83 degree
 
Mean geocentric velocity = 12.9 km/s

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Put "Mean velocity = 21.0"

Press "Orbit". The output file is:

================================================================================================

FIREBALL ORBIT - DATE 12 8 1998 AT 21.821 UT
 

Geographical coordinates of the minimum height point: 
 
Latitude = 47.041 degree, East Longitude = 11.968 degree 
 
Fireball Parameters Trajectory: 
 
Azimut of the apparent radiant = 140.83 degree
 
Trajectory inclination = 17.98 degree

Height above sea level = 0.00 km, Geocentric Velocity = 21.00 km/s 
 

Equatorial Coordinates of the Apparent Radiant (2000): 

Dec. = -16.05 degree, AR. = 339.14 degree 


Orbital Elements (2000): 
 
Semi-major axis = 1.080 UA
 
Eccentricity = 0.553 
 
Inclination = 9.38 degree
 
Longitude of the ascending node = 320.00 degree
 
Argument of the perihelion = 118.09 degree
 
True anomaly = 241.91 degree
 
Orbital period = 409.979 mean solar day
 
Mean anomaly = 307.93 degree 
 
Julianus dies of perihelion passage = 2450687.729 

Perihelion distance = 0.482 UA

Aphelion distance = 1.678 UA

Eliocentric velocity at 1 UA from Sun = 30.5 km/s 


Ecliptic and Equatorial Coordinates of the true radiant: 
 
Ecliptic Coordinates (2000) 

Lat. = -7.81 degree, Long. = 263.79 degree 
 
Equatorial Coordinates (2000) 

Dec. = -31.10 degree, AR. = 262.82 degree 

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Albino Carbognani - Italy
Web: http://www.fis.unipr.it/~albino
Email: albino@fis.unipr.it


ITASN, ITAlian Superbolide Network.