How do yoy track meteor fireballs?

RelicPrime113

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Aug 20, 2013
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Just at a curiosity, how do you track a fireball at night? Lets say there was a meteor shower one evening and then suddenly see a bright shooting star heading towards you but vanishes after a few seconds of entering the atmosphere. I know it may look close to you but how far away would it be if it survives the burning process and crashes on the earth? Any thoughts? Ive seen quite a few of them in my lifetime and would love to find a fresh meteorite someday. The latest fireball I saw was last year in New Hampshire near my camp.
 

Peyton Manning

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Dec 19, 2012
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I track them with my drones, well to be honest, with the one that guards my home. The other two are on missions.
 

Jason in Enid

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Oct 10, 2009
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For a serious answer, the only way to track them is with radar. When you see them, they are hundreds of miles away and when they "burn out" (stop giving a fireball even though they are still intact) they are still miles above the earth. So if you don't witness it hitting the ground, you have no way of knowing where it really landed without a radar track.
 

sciflyer25

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^^ Radar will narrow down the search area greatly. As stated, unless you witness rocks, or if you hear audible hissing or whisling noises, you will have no idea where they land.
 

DolanDave

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Yes Doppler Radar, also if there were sonic booms, the NOAA has seismic area's to triangulate the sounds, also there are a lot of video camera's up you can get recorded video, and get a bearing, and degree it fell to triangulate, also from witnesses, get a bearing and angle, and triangulate where it fell.
Dave.
 

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