the st thomas university all-sky camera james whitehead science and technology studies, stu...

The St Thomas UniversityThe St Thomas UniversityAll-Sky CameraAll-Sky Camera

James WhiteheadJames WhiteheadScience and Technology Studies, STUScience and Technology Studies, STU

Meteorites and Impacts Advisory Committee (MIAC) Meteorites and Impacts Advisory Committee (MIAC) Atlantic Representative to the Canadian Space Agency Atlantic Representative to the Canadian Space Agency

President, Science East Association Inc.President, Science East Association Inc.

Click the Button to Startthe 13-Slide Presentation

Mounted to the Roof of McCain Hall Mounted to the Roof of McCain Hall (opposite) is an All-Sky Camera(opposite) is an All-Sky Camera

This camera monitors the night sky for meteors, and their larger equivalents, fireballs

• Meteors are generated by tiny sand or ice particles – these generally burn up

• Fireballs are generated by larger chunks of rock, and can make it to the ground as meteorites

• Monitoring fireballs with the camera can help us find the meteorites

A Fireball

The Benton meteorite, The Benton meteorite, fell 1949 near Woodstock, NBfell 1949 near Woodstock, NB

This is the only meteorite to have been found in Atlantic Canada – we hope to improve that record, using the camera

It didn’t arrivePre-labelled

The Camera is controlledThe Camera is controlledfrom the third floor Server Roomfrom the third floor Server Room

Triggering eventsTriggering events

• All fast moving bright objects within 400 km (on a clear night) trigger the camera

• A database of events, with photographs and video, is created

Star maps with the fireball pathStar maps with the fireball pathhelp us define its trajectoryhelp us define its trajectory

Multiple Cameras are needed to Multiple Cameras are needed to define meteorite 3D trajectorydefine meteorite 3D trajectory

(and fall site)(and fall site)

It looks complicated, but it really isn’t!

Fredericton

Halifax

Currently OperationalSt Thomas UniversitySt Mary’s University

Viewing Range (400km)

Miramichi

Sackville

Saint John

Planned for near futureAdditional cameras housed at:French Fort Cove, MiramichiUNB Saint JohnMt Allison University, Sackville

All Controlled fromSt Thomas University!

The Educational Potential The Educational Potential is being developed with is being developed with

Science East & Science East & STU Dept EducationSTU Dept Education

• The cameras will be available online

• Schools can access the data

• Worksheets will be developed Fall 2007 for teachers and students to use

SponsorsSponsors

• Association of Professional Engineers and Geologists of NB (APEGNB) outreach grant

• NB Computers for Schools programme

• St Thomas University

• Vogue optical

Wishing you allClear Skies!

http://people.stu.ca/~jamesw