News
[2017-11-22]Today we start hunting the Alpha Monocerotids in BRAMS data with the help of Radio Meteor Zoo users
Some models suggest that Earth will cross a dust trail on November 21, around 21h UT and we will investigate this with our radio observations from the BRAMS network. In 1995, forward scatter radio observations clearly detected the Alpha Monocerotids above the sporadic background. So we are confident that, if there is an outburst, we will be able to detect it.
Since the entry speed of these meteors is estimated at 65 km/s, we expect to have a lot of complex meteor echoes, which justifies the use of the Radio Meteor Zoo to detect them. You are cordially invited to help us processing the observations from November 22 9h UT onwards.
We look forward to seeing as many Radio Meteor Zoo users as possible to help us hunt the Alpha Monocerotids!
For more information, please check this link on the Radio Meteor Zoo forum or this link on the IMO website.
[2017-11-21]Last week-end two bright fireballs were observed above/nearby Belgium and BRAMS clearly detected them.


The second one was on 19 November at 02:29 UT. Below are spectrograms from BEHUMA and BEOPHA. The meteor echo is very long and split on two consecutive spectrograms.




It was observed with video cameras above Netherlands. See this link for some spectacular images.
[2017-10-21]A fireball above Belgium detected by BRAMS and by FRIPON optical camera /radio antenna


It was clearly detected by all BRAMS stations as a bright overdense meteor echo. Here are a few examples obtained at BELIEG, BEOPHA, BEUCCL, BEHAAC, BEOTTI and BEHOVE. Note that it was so bright that the noise is barely visible on most spectrograms and that some saturation sometimes occurs.






It was also detected by the recently added FRIPON radio antenna listening to the military radar located in Graves, near Dijon, and emitting at approximately 143 MHz. A trail echo is clearly visible for at least 6 seconds. No head echo was detected for this case.

[2017-10-20]New FRIPON radio antenna in Uccle


[2017-10-16]Annual BRAMS meeting at MIRA public observatory on 14/10/2017
- Status of the BRAMS network - H. Lamy
- New automatic detection method : description and some results - H. Lamy
- First results with the BRAMS interferometer & calibration tests - H. Lamy
- The Radio Meteor Zoo: searching for meteors in BRAMS radio observations - H. Lamy
- CAMS coverage for BRAMS meteor echoes - P. Roggemans
- Status of the radio and optical FRIPON network - Jean-Louis Rault
- FRIPON radio - Jean-Louis Rault
[2017-09-27]Presentations given at the EPSC 2017 and IMC 2017 international conferences
- The Radio Meteor Zoo: searching for meteors in BRAMS radio observations was given by H. Lamy. PDF version
From 21 to 24 September, the International Meteor Conference 2017 was organized in Petnica, Serbia. The following presentations were given :
- The Radio Meteor Zoo: involving citizen scientists in radio meteor research by Stijn Calders. PDF version
- Using a small phased array for meteor observations by Antonio Martinez Picar
- Observations of the Geminids 2016 with the BRAMS radio interferometer by Hervé Lamy. PDF version
- Overview of major shower observations 2016-2017 by the BRAMS network by Cis Verbeeck. PDF version
[2017-08-30]Calibration of the radio interferometer in Humain
The electric length of the cables is basically measured by generating a square signal, taking its approximate derivative which has a very fast rising flank. This signal is sent into the cable, reflected at the end, and we measure the delay needed to travel the cable (twice) by detecting the same (delayed) rising flank. This was done using a counter, a generator and two directional couplers. The principle is sketched below.

By repeating the measure on a very large number of flanks and integrating the results, the accuracy on the average delay is of the order of 4 picoseconds. The time delays measured between the rising flanks of the direct and reflected signals are typically of 250-252 nanoseconds. 250 nanoseconds corresponds to a length of around 50 meters. What matters are the small differences between the time delays measured between 2 antennas. These are systematic errors on phase delays that we need to take into account.
[2017-08-21]New fireball detected by the FRIPON camera in Uccle

[2017-08-16]First fireball detected by the FRIPON camera in Uccle

Last night, the very first detection of a fireball occured, also detected by the camera located at ESTEC in Noordwijk.

[2017-08-11]The Radio Meteor Zoo (and the Perseids) in the Flamish press
[2017-08-11]The Perseids are back and we need your help for the Radio Meteor Zoo
This year we would like to be able to produce an activity curve for one station by August 15. This is very challenging and for that we will need the help of many of you!
One day of data consists of approximately 300 images. Each of them needs to be analyzed by 10 different users. We will provide images from 11 to 13 of August, one day at a time. So to obtain an activity curve on August 15, we will need about 9000 classifications in 3 days. If e.g. 1000 users are participating, that will be 9 classifications per user on average, or 3 images classified per day. Of course the more users the better!
Data will be released on 12, 13 and 14 of August as we need to collect and prepare them for upload to the RMZ website. Meanwhile you can also help us by analyzing data from the same station obtained on 22 and 23 of July, during days when the Perseids were not active at all. If these data are fully processed before the meteor shower, we will then be able to also subtract the background from the total activity. That is the ultimate goal for August 15.
We hope to "see" as many of you as possible on August 12-14 and that between two classifications, you might also be able to spot a few shooting stars at your location.
Get involved again at the Radio Meteor Zoo
Thank you in advance!
[2017-05-08]Internal seminar on the Radio Meteor Zoo