Saturday, December 2, 2017

Meteor Echoes Live Stream: livemeteors.com

You may have difficulties watching the live stream on your mobile device. Please use a desktop computer. 

If you see and hear sometimes a strong continuous signal that runs for more than a minute or so, that is unlikely to be a meteor echo. VHF radio waves are sometimes affected by an unusual form of ionosphere propagation called "Sporadic E"

During this event which can last hours or even days, the radio signal originating from the distant station is reflected by the ionosphere and meteor echoes are impossible to be detected. Sporadic E is specific to summer season in Northern Hemisphere.





When a meteor enters the Earth's upper atmosphere it excites the air molecules, producing a streak of light and leaving a trail of ionization (an elongated paraboloid) behind it tens of kilometers long. This ionized trail may persist for less than 1 second up to several minutes, occasionally. Occurring at heights of about 85 to 105 km (50-65 miles), this trail is capable of reflecting radio waves from transmitters located on the ground, similar to light reflecting from a mirrored surface. Meteor radio wave reflections are also called meteor echoes, or pings.