By Ivan Sergei, Yuri Goryachko and Zbigniew Tymiński

 

Abstract: A bright grazing meteor occurred over the territory of Belarus and Poland on 2020 November 1 at 3h44m04s UT. The event was recorded by cameras in Belarus and Poland.

 

1 Introduction

The analysis of the video data has been made by Yuri Goryachko from Minsk for the observational data from Derazhnoye. We could cover different parts of the track but due to a lack of data, having no other registrations for this peculiar meteor, it was not possible the establish a complete picture.

Also, the beginning and the ending point of the meteor trajectory was outside the field of view of our cameras. For these and some other reasons, the software UFO Orbit, for example, could not do calculations for both parts as a whole, but displayed the characteristics for each part separately.

 

Figure 1 – The path of the grazing meteor registered by the camera of Yuri Goryachko (Belarus).

 

Figure 2 – The trajectory of the grazing meteor recorded by Zbigniew Tymiński, 2020 November 1, 03h44m13s (Polish Fireballs Network, Otwock, PFN40, Poland).

2 Some results

The initial survey indicated that the meteor grazer belonged to the Daytime iota Virginids (IVI#251) meteor shower. It is important to note that this is a daytime radiant, which was located about 13 degrees from the Sun. To catch such a meteor is a great rarity and just a huge luck. There is very little data on this meteor shower. The IAU MDC working list of meteor showers list the following data:

  • λʘ= 223°
  • α= 210.4°
  • δ = –3.8°
  • vg= 29 km/s
  • a= 1.217 AU
  • q= 0.985 AU
  • e= 0.1906
  • ω= 60.7°
  • Ω= 224.3°
  • i= 10.1°

The brightness varied between +0.3m and –1.0m. According to rough estimates, the duration of the event could be about 15 seconds or even more. The length of the trajectory is about 450–500 km. As for heights and velocities, these were defined more precisely. For each part of the trajectory separately these were:

First part:

  • Height from 104 km to 101 km
  • vo= 30.07 km/s
  • vg= 27.63 km/s
  • vh= 38.65 km/s

Second part:

  • Height from 101 km to 106 km
  • vo= 29.46 km/s
  • vg= 26.95 km/s
  • vh= 38.36 km/s

With vo the initial velocity, vg the geocentric velocity and vh the heliocentric velocity.

 

<em>Figure 3 –</em> Calculation of the radiant position obtained with the program UFO.

Figure 3 – Calculation of the radiant position obtained with the program UFO.

 

Figure 4 – The basic reconstruction of the meteor grazer trajectory by Belarusian and Polish video cameras.

Figure 4 – The basic reconstruction of the meteor grazer trajectory by Belarusian and Polish video cameras.

 

Figure 5 – Determination of the orbit of the meteor grazer in space computed by the UFO software.

 

Figure 6 – Projection of the orbit of the meteor grazer in space in the ecliptic plane.

 

Figure 7 – The orbit of the meteor grazer seen perpendicular to the orbital plane.

 

The conclusion of Przemysław Żołądek (software PyPN): “I have the beginning of the Belarusian section at 103.95 km. The end of the Belarusian section at 100.86 km. vo velocity 30.27 km/s for me, 30.07 km/s for your friend. Very nicely. The beginning of the Polish section was at an altitude of 101.12 km. The end of the whole phenomenon for me was 105.37 km, for your friend it was 106 km. The starting velocity of the Polish section was 29.11 km/s, for your friend it was 29.46 km/s. The consistency of the results is very satisfactory!”

 

3 Radio recording

The Radio Meteor System of Ivan Sergey recorded a signal from this grazing meteor on November 1 at 03h44m UT lasting about 10 seconds. Of course, I cannot prove 100% this echo signal is caused by this meteor. Have a look at the list of signals during the interval 03h40m–04h00m UT November 1, 2020 in Table 1.

 

Table 1 – List of radio echo signals during the interval 03h40m–04h00m UT November 1, 2020. Bck: Background signal level, Thr: Radio signal triggering (detection) threshold, L: signal duration, A: amplitude signal power, Max: peak signal level, Noise: noise level.

Date and time Bck Thr L A Max Noise
01.11.2020 3h41m00s 5680 3000 0.06 908 4370 517
01.11.2020 3h41m23s 5600 3000 0.12 1275.3 8607 648
01.11.2020 3h41m49s 5700 3000 3.4 13493.98 10727 795
01.11.2020 3h42m19s 5412 3000 0.08 936.1 9849 461
01.11.2020 3h42m22s 5425 3000 0.14 1127.92 8484 573
01.11.2020 3h42m33s 5463 3000 0.42 2528.36 9074 1190
01.11.2020 3h43m54s 5595 3000 0.38 2126.44 6904 793
01.11.2020 3h44m06s 5888 3000 9.8 37846.32 13683 1301
01.11.2020 3h48m48s 5545 3000 0.06 863.82 11337 418
01.11.2020 3h50m23s 5454 3000 0.26 1508.7 6744 630
01.11.2020 3h54m46s 5405 3000 0.18 2548.82 22743 1104
01.11.2020 3h59m27s 5394 3000 0.78 2916.34 7141 1127
01.11.2020 3h41m00s 5680 3000 0.06 908 4370 517
01.11.2020 3h41m23s 5600 3000 0.12 1275.3 8607 648
01.11.2020 3h41m49s 5700 3000 3.4 13493.98 10727 795
01.11.2020 3h42m19s 5412 3000 0.08 936.1 9849 461
01.11.2020 3h42m22s 5425 3000 0.14 1127.92 8484 573
01.11.2020 3h42m33s 5463 3000 0.42 2528.36 9074 1190
01.11.2020 3h43m54s 5595 3000 0.38 2126.44 6904 793
01.11.2020 3h44m06s 5888 3000 9.8 37846.32 13683 1301
01.11.2020 3h48m48s 5545 3000 0.06 863.82 11337 418
01.11.2020 3h50m23s 5454 3000 0.26 1508.7 6744 630
01.11.2020 3h54m46s 5405 3000 0.18 2548.82 22743 1104
01.11.2020 3h59m27s 5394 3000 0.78 2916.34 7141 1127

 

 

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Yuri Goryachko from the astronomical group “Astrominsk” and Zbigniew Tymiński of the Polish Fireballs Network for the sending the information about this event and Przemysław Żołądek for the analysis of observations. I thank Paul Roggemans for correcting this article.

 

References

Sekanina Z. (1976). “Statistical Model of Meteor Streams. IV. A Study of Radio Streams from the Synoptic Year”. Icarus, 27, 265–321.