[meteorite-list] Russian: A preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk Meteoroid byJorge I. Zuluaga & Ignacio Ferrin

From: Robin Whittle <rw_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:04:14 +1100
Message-ID: <512831AE.6010504_at_firstpr.com.au>

>From the email updates of Stefan Geens' site:


http://ogleearth.com/2013/02/reconstructing-the-chelyabinsk-meteors-path-with-google-earth-youtube-and-high-school-math

I learnt that a paper has been written regarding the entry path, working
back to possible orbits:

  http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.5377

  A preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk
  Meteoroid
  Jorge I. Zuluaga, Ignacio Ferrin
  Instituto de F??sica - FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia,
  Calle 67 No. 53-108, Medell?n, Colombia

Abstract

In February 15 2013 a medium-sized meteoroid impacted the atmosphere in
the region of Chelyabinsk, Russia. After its entrance to the atmosphere
and after travel by several hundred of kilometers the body exploded in a
powerful event responsible for physical damages and injured people
spread over a region enclosing several large cities. We present in this
letter the results of a preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the
Chelyabinsk meteoroid. Using evidence gathered by one camera at the
Revolution Square in the city of Chelyabinsk and other videos recorded
by witnesses in the close city of Korkino, we calculate the trajectory
of the body in the atmosphere and use it to reconstruct the orbit in
space of the meteoroid previous to the violent encounter with our
planet. In order to account for the uncertainties implicit in the
determination of the trajectory of the body in the atmosphere,
we use Monte Carlo methods to calculate the most probable orbital
parameters and their dispersion. Although the orbital elements are
affected by uncertainties the orbit has been sucesfully reconstructed.
We use it to classify the meteoroid among the near Earth asteroid
families finding that the parent body belonged to the Apollo asteroids.



The authors cite Stefan Geens' work as the starting point for their
calculations. They have an updates page:

  http://urania.udea.edu.co/sitios/facom/research/chelyabinsk-meteoroid.php


This paper is also linked to and cited within the Wikipedia page:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Russian_meteor_event

which mentions another page of potential interest:

  http://www.amsmeteors.org/2013/02/large-daytime-fireball-hits-russia/

  - Robin
Received on Fri 22 Feb 2013 10:04:14 PM PST