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Spectral Analysis of Four Meteors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Gale A. Harvey*
Affiliation:
Langley Research Center, NASAHampton, Virginia

Abstract

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Four meteor spectra from the NASA LRC Faint Meteor Spectra Patrol are analyzed for chemical composition and radiative processes. The chemical compositions of the Taurid, Geminid, and Perseid meteors were found to be similar to that of a typical stony meteorite. The chemical composition of the sporadic meteor was found to be similar to that of a nickel-iron meteorite. The radiation from optical meteors (+ 1 to —10 absolute photographic magnitude) was found to be similar to that of a low-temperature gas, except that strong, anomalous ionic radiation is superposed on the neutral radiation in bright (< — 3 mag), fast meteors.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © NASA 1971

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