Orbits and Atmospheric Trajectories of 6544 Radiometeors Registered at the Hisar Astronomical Observatory
Abstract
This work presents the results of radar observations of 6544 radiometeors conducted at the Hisar Astronomical Observatory (HisAO) between December 1969 and February 1970. The coordinates of radiants, velocities, and orbital parameters were analyzed.
The observed meteors cover a sky region with ecliptic latitudes ranging from +90° to -23° and have magnitudes brighter than +5m. The measured geocentric parameters include the equatorial coordinates of the radiants and velocities, while the heliocentric parameters are represented by Keplerian orbital elements.
The distribution of solar ecliptic longitudes revealed three distinct peaks corresponding to the meteor showers Geminids, Quadrantids, and sporadic meteors. Analysis using the Southworth–Hawkins D-criterion for orbital similarity identified 223 meteoroids belonging to the Geminid stream, with an average geocentric velocity of Vg = 35.1 ± 2.1 km/s. A looser criterion (D = 0.20) increased the number of identified meteoroids to 400, with Vg = 34.6 ± 3.1 km/s.
The distribution of geocentric velocities showed a bimodal pattern caused by the influence of heliocentric velocities and Earth’s motion. Analysis of heliocentric orbits revealed 340 meteoroids with hyperbolic orbits, some of which may be attributed to measurement uncertainties.
The distribution of geocentric radiants showed concentrations corresponding to major meteor showers. Daily and seasonal variations in meteor counts were analyzed, confirming the presence of a morning maximum in sporadic meteor activity.
Analysis of orbital parameters indicated that most meteoroids have large semi-major axes (a > 1.67 AU), characteristic of cometary bodies. The distribution of perihelion distances showed two peaks corresponding to the Geminid and Quadrantid streams. The eccentricity distribution revealed an exponential increase in the number of orbits with increasing e, with a maximum concentration in the range 0.85–1. The inclination distribution was found to be uneven, with a predominance of meteors on low-inclination orbits.
The obtained results broaden our understanding of the structure of meteor streams and the distribution of meteoroid orbits in interplanetary space.
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