Meteors

In 2008(?), Sandia Labs donated an All Sky Meteor camera to Bob Stephens to Bolides entering the atmosphere.  The camera  went online in the Fall of 2009.  It is currently located at GMARS, the Riverside Astronomical Society's observing site and is operated when one of the CS3 principals is present.


The meteor camera is usually operating during major meteor showers.  Here is a combined image of the Geminid Meteor Shower on the night of December 13-14, 2009.  The bright bolide on the right edge of the image (west) was also detected  by Wally Pacholka who had the Astronomy Picture of the Day on December 17, 2009.


Triangulating this image with Wally's picture allowed us to determine the bolide entered the atmosphere off the coast of California west of LAX.

Estimated entry point of Geminid Bolide on December 14, 2009.