Jim, Normally objects which heat up faster also cool faster, so the dark, metal-containing meteorites would probably cool off faster than the surrounding sand or earth. They might still show up as a negative thermal image however. Thomas
Thomas H. Webb On Sat, 30 Mar 2002, Meteorite1 wrote: > MessageHello all, > > I know that I am not the rocket scientist here & this may be an oversimplified >theory but I have a picture of my house & my fathers house taken from a satellite in >orbit. Now I may be wrong but I kinda think that if someone is going to go to the >trouble of putting millions of dollars of equipment into orbit that they would >include thermal imaging as part of that inventory. Here is my thought, in the >evening, at dusk when the desert floor is no longer being heated by the sun wouldn't > the sand, plants & surrounding landscape cool off faster than the darker colored >rocks (meteorites) with iron content? And if the meteorites did cool slower or have a >higher temp because of their darker color couldn't we print out a GPS based list of >these thermal hot spots? > > This is just an idea considering that the technology I think is there is probably >classified & we could never gain access to it anyway. > > Sincerely, > Jim > > James Hartman > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.meteorite1.net > imca_509 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (for IMCA member contact) > > Authenticity Guaranteed > www.meteoritecollectors.org > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: dvail > To: 'Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral' > Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 1:11 AM > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites > > > Ok, > > A little more on my idea of how to search for meteorites in relatively high >contrast, low noise areas like sand dunes. I realize that they won't be as easy to >automatically recognize as a 10 foot dia > meter shinny black fusion crusted meteorite in the middle of an Antarctic ice field. > However I do believe the following method will work and it would be fun! > > Low cost ultra miniature UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) sometimes called MAVs >(miniature aerial vehicle) are hand launched and belly landed and have a range of >about 50 miles. They can fly at an altitude of a few feet to 1000 feet. They can be >either battery or liquid fuel powered (aerosol can). On board is a microcontroller, >4 mega-pixel d > igital camera, GPS receiver, and 5 GHz 802.11a wireless LAN Interface capable of >transmitting 104 megabits per second. The wireless LAN Interface is used for video >transmission, streaming real-time telemetry and remote control. Remote control can >be preformed in real-time by a person operating a laptop with remote control software >comprised of a video window and a 3d topo map showing the real-time GPS position of >the UAV and standard aeronautical controls (graphically simulated sticks, indicators >and gaug > es) The laptop computer is connected to an 802.11a access point with an attached >pitch and rotation controlled directional high gain parabolic antenna positioned at a >pre-selected strategic high ground line of site vantage point. The UAV control >program running on the laptop can be configured to automatically execute a standard >systematic grid search pattern or an out and back modified grid/radial pattern planed >around the range characteristics of the UAV. During the execution of the search >pattern the l > aptop records a series of overlapping snapshots stamped with GPS coordinate, UAV >spatial orientation, date/time, and other pertinent information. A pixel-pattern >discrimination program reviews the snapshots (Photoshop on steroids). The program >allows the user to graphically select targets from a database of object photos and >parametric deviation criteria. The object database contains key information on each >photographed object in the database. The pixel pattern selection algorithm is >adaptive and can ad > just itself based on various prevailing conditions such as atmospheric, >meteorological, light, shadow, time of day, spatial orientation. It selects >suspects. Suspect targets are manually reviewed at high resolution. A larger, more >sophisticated UAV with a steerable zoom camera can be dispatched to the GPS >coordinates for a closer look at an interesting target. At that point, if things >look good I think it would be ok to hop in the old dune buggy (local land use laws >permitting) and have a look. > > > > > This method could be refined and improved with practice to perhaps find meteorites >in lower contrast higher noise areas. > > > > Dan Vail > > >× > ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
