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OAS > PRISMA Project: Italian Network for meteors observations and trajectory studies

Sormano Astronomical Observatory: PRISMA (Prima Rete Italiana per lo Studio sistematico delle Meteore e dell'Atmosfera)

Last update: March 23, 2021

Contact: Francesco Manca ( obs.sormano@alice.it ).

PRISMA (Prima Rete Italiana per lo Studio sistematico delle Meteore e dell'Atmosfera) is a collaboration initiated and coordinated by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) that counts members among Research institutes, Associations, Schools (the complete list of PRISMA members is available at www.prisma.inaf.it )

The project started with an All-Sky camera installed at the INAF Observatory of Pino Torinese Italy in cooperation with the existing French project FRIPON. In this way it was possible to test the real performance of the project having the goal to observe and record the fireballs, calculating their trajectories and orbits, reducing the uncertainty area where fragments can be find out before the possible contamination of the terrestrial environment.

 


see full on-line article on skyandtelescope.com

Meteor Terminology @ AMS.org
...

 

Diagram of succession of events per year (source: PRISMA)

For more details see the LINKS section

 

Afterwards to the first test, seven camera were connected in the north of Italy within the end of 2016,
more other cameras were scheduled to be installed at INAF or Amateur Astronomical Observatories and
public facilities in order to cover a 100 km area among them.

Camera Specifications: Basler acA1300-30gm

CCD Sensor Sony ICX445
Frame Rate 30 fps
Resolution 1.3 Mpx (1296 px x 966 px)
Sensor size 4.9 mm x 3.6 mm
Pixel size 3.75 μm x 3.75 μm

The detection of fireballs for all PRISMA's camera is made thanks to the FreeTure (Free software to capTure meteors),
software developed by the FRIPON team under Linux-Debian OS and installed in the mini-PC connectged to the camera.

At the beginning of the year 2018 n.20 All-Sky camera were in operating status, so at this time
Sormano Astronomical Observatory received the request to join the project covering its area in the North of Italy.

 

(click on the map for the current stations list)

 

The cooperation to the PRISMA project started in May 2018 when the All-Sky
camera has been installed and connected to the network in operative status.

Station code ITLO02

Geographic coordinates WGS84
Longitude 9° 13' 42".89 East
Latitude 45° 52' 58".80 North
Height 1131 m, MSL

PRISMA CAMERA: IMAGES and VIDEO of FIREBALLS


August 22, 2018 T21:37:40 UTC
January 24, 2019 T20:59:08 UTC

March 26, 2019 T18:55:34 UTC
March 27, 2019 T19:07:43 UTC

January 01, 2020 T18:38:46 UTC
March 22, 2021 T22:18:36 UTC

For more details about PRISMA project:

  • PRISMA, Italian network for meteors and atmospheric studies
    Proceedings of the International Meteor Conference (Authors: Gardiol, D.; Cellino, A.; Di Martino, M.)

  • PRISMA, Prima Rete Italiana per la Sorveglianza di Meteore e Atmosfera
    Main web page

  • Fireball report/Segnalazione bolidi
    Segnalare un bolide al progetto PRISMA scheda di segnalazione)

  • PRISMA: educational activity
    Materiale didattico/Educational material

  • meteora del 1 Gennaio del 2020
    TROVATI PRIMI FRAMMENTI DI UNA METEORA GRAZIE AI DATI RILEVATI DALLE CAMERE DI PRISMA

    FRIPON project:

  • FRIPON (Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network)
    100 camera network which goal is to monitor France skies

  • "Sky and Telescope" FRIPON: all-sky meteor network in France

  • Shelyak Instruments
    Supplier and technical support for FRIPON/PRISMA network

    (IMO) International Meteor Organization:

  • International cooperation of meteor amateur work

    NASA All-Sky Camera Network :

  • Intro to Meteors - Meteoroid Environment Office
  • NASA's All Sky Fireball Network
  • NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office

    JPL CNEOS Fireballs, event's calculated total impact:

  • CNEOS: Fireball and Bolide Data reported by US Government Sensor

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    Web Curators: M. Carpino, F. Manca
    Last modified: March 23, 2021