Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors

This article introduces an innovative meteor detection system that integrates high-speed photodiode detectors with traditional camera-based systems. The system employs four photodiodes to record changes in sky brightness at 100 Hz, enabling meteor detection and the observation of their dynamics. Thi...

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Main Authors: Adam Popowicz, Jerzy Fiołka, Jacek Chęciński, Krzysztof Bernacki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2828
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author Adam Popowicz
Jerzy Fiołka
Jacek Chęciński
Krzysztof Bernacki
author_facet Adam Popowicz
Jerzy Fiołka
Jacek Chęciński
Krzysztof Bernacki
author_sort Adam Popowicz
collection DOAJ
description This article introduces an innovative meteor detection system that integrates high-speed photodiode detectors with traditional camera-based systems. The system employs four photodiodes to record changes in sky brightness at 100 Hz, enabling meteor detection and the observation of their dynamics. This technology serves as a valuable complement to existing imaging techniques, offering a cost-effective solution for measuring meteor ablation at frequencies beyond the capabilities of camera-based systems. We showcase findings from the Perseid meteor shower, demonstrating the potential of our system. Moreover, our system addresses the current limitations in meteor radiometry, where many existing instruments either remain in developmental stages or have not been validated with a substantial number of confirmed meteor events. Our approach successfully addresses these limitations, demonstrating effectiveness across multiple meteor events simultaneously recorded on video.
format Article
id doaj-art-adf92c8101fa4dd08ddf10cbdfb11f6d
institution DOAJ
issn 2076-3417
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Applied Sciences
spelling doaj-art-adf92c8101fa4dd08ddf10cbdfb11f6d2025-08-20T02:52:41ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-03-01155282810.3390/app15052828Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode DetectorsAdam Popowicz0Jerzy Fiołka1Jacek Chęciński2Krzysztof Bernacki3Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, PolandFaculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, PolandFaculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, PolandFaculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, PolandThis article introduces an innovative meteor detection system that integrates high-speed photodiode detectors with traditional camera-based systems. The system employs four photodiodes to record changes in sky brightness at 100 Hz, enabling meteor detection and the observation of their dynamics. This technology serves as a valuable complement to existing imaging techniques, offering a cost-effective solution for measuring meteor ablation at frequencies beyond the capabilities of camera-based systems. We showcase findings from the Perseid meteor shower, demonstrating the potential of our system. Moreover, our system addresses the current limitations in meteor radiometry, where many existing instruments either remain in developmental stages or have not been validated with a substantial number of confirmed meteor events. Our approach successfully addresses these limitations, demonstrating effectiveness across multiple meteor events simultaneously recorded on video.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2828astronomyobservatoriesphotodiodesradiometers
spellingShingle Adam Popowicz
Jerzy Fiołka
Jacek Chęciński
Krzysztof Bernacki
Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors
Applied Sciences
astronomy
observatories
photodiodes
radiometers
title Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors
title_full Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors
title_fullStr Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors
title_short Enhancing Meteor Observations with Photodiode Detectors
title_sort enhancing meteor observations with photodiode detectors
topic astronomy
observatories
photodiodes
radiometers
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2828
work_keys_str_mv AT adampopowicz enhancingmeteorobservationswithphotodiodedetectors
AT jerzyfiołka enhancingmeteorobservationswithphotodiodedetectors
AT jacekchecinski enhancingmeteorobservationswithphotodiodedetectors
AT krzysztofbernacki enhancingmeteorobservationswithphotodiodedetectors