Meteor Detection Software?

[twade]

To all,

I'm looking for some software that will search my image files for meteors?  It's pretty tedious manually looking through almost 600 files.  I primarily have three different image files: FITS, CR2, and RAW CFA FITS).  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Wade

[avastro]

Hello Wade,
I use these soft for comets and minor planets search in my images
http://pinpoint.dc3.com/ and http://www.astrometrica.at/
Both work very well.

Antoine

[twade]

Antoine,

I'm very familiar with Pinpoint.  I use it too.  It does an excellent job.  I haven't used the other program you mentioned though.  I do have a feeling that neither of these programs will be helpful in finding linear objects (i.e. planes, satellites, and meteors) seen in only a single image.    Perhaps, you use them differently.  Could you describe the technique for possibly finding meteors in an image?

Wade

[Nocturnal]

I thought object discovery like that typically depended on taking two images a certain time apart and comparing them?

[twade]

Sander,

I thought object discovery like that typically depended on taking two images a certain time apart and comparing them?

You are correct; however, most are looking for "point" sources.  I'm not sure how one would get them to recognize and report linear objects. 

Here's what I had in mind:

1. Load images,
2. Look for linear objects (airplanes, satellites, meteors), and
3. List possible candidates (file names).

A more complicated version could check for the presence of linear objects located in the general vicinity in the next image to remove false positive such as airplanes and satellites.

It seems like it would be simple to just do 1-3; however, checking for false-positives would be much more difficult.

Wade

[Nocturnal]

Ah, ok. You're looking for lines in your images. Sounds like something Carlos would enjoy coding Perhaps a Hough Transform or some other method.

That said have you done some back of the envelope calculations to see how long the lines would be generated by some comets of the class you're hoping to detect? It seems that when they're far away their angular speed is low and that means either long exposures or narrow fields and both would reduce the amount of sky you can search.

[twade]

Sander,

have you done some back of the envelope calculations to see how long the lines would be generated by some comets of the class you're hoping to detect?

I'm not sure how comets got into the discussion, but I'm only looking for meteors.   

Meteor trails tend to vary greatly.  I've seen them as short as a pinpoint (i.e. a head-on meteor) to well over 100 degrees.

Also, I tend to use 24mm lenses or wider to cover as much of the sky as possible while imaging for meteors.

Wade

[Nocturnal]

Ah, meteors. Much easier Sorry for getting confused.

[avastro]

Hi Wade & Sander,
To find moving objects in my image I load two or more images in these soft and look for moving objects.
Astrometrica use a tool to find moving objects, the trick is to choose subs with an acquisition time differential corresponding to the velocity of the object .
In the case of meteors or air plane it's most probably a single point or a line, then Blinking should do the trick.
Look at http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=1895.0
A blinking script is now available.
Hope this helps.

Cheers

Antoine

[FunTomas]

Avastro: Blinking over 600 images? 

[avastro]

No of course    Just choose subs spaced out by a short time  in the meteor case, then try to increase  delta time sub to shorter speed object.
Look at this link  http://www.sbig.com/sbwhtmls/online.htm
It's a dedicated all sky camera, 60 seconds exposure allow to show clearly meteors.

Antoine