 The Perseids meteor shower is set to peak this weekend and a group of amateur radio enthusiasts have set up a beacon in the UK that allows anyone to observe the meteors as they burn through the Earth's atmosphere. GB3MBA is the meteor beacon located at the Sherwood Observatory near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. Constructed by volunteers and funded by the Radio Society of Great Britain and the British Astronomical Association, the beacon transmits an electromagnetic signal vertically into the sky to illuminate the region where meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere burn up briefly. This occurs at an altitude of 80 to 100km and the beacon 'illuminates' a region with a diameter of about 400km centred on its location near Mansfield. Anyone within about 1200km of Mansfield and having a suitable receiver and antenna can receive echoes from meteors entering the illuminated region and use these to count and study meteor events. The data is displayed on a live online feed, with meteors appearing as blue streaks that emit a ping followed by a trailing pitch. Even during times of relatively low activity, the system captures over 100 meteors every hour. The only things that would disturb it are thunderstorms and lightning. The data is displayed on a live online feed, with meteors appearing as blue streaks that emit a ping (UK Meteor Beacon/ screenshot) Man-made noise and interference also affect radio astronomers so you're better placed if you live in a radio-quiet rural area or one where the interference is minimal. With the peak of the Perseid meteor shower approaching, it's the perfect time to tune in. Thousands of meteors an hour are expected to pop up on the feed as Earth passes through the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. Unlike observing the skies with telescopes, with the use of radio signals, you don't need to wait for the perfect conditions to spot the met){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
The Perseids meteor shower is set to peak this weekend and a group of amateur radio enthusiasts have set up a beacon in the UK that allows anyone to observe the meteors as they burn through the Earth’s atmosphere.
GB3MBA is the meteor beacon located at the Sherwood Observatory near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire.
Constructed by volunteers and funded by the Radio Society of Great Britain and the British Astronomical Association, the beacon transmits an electromagnetic signal vertically into the sky to illuminate the region where meteors entering the Earth’s atmosphere burn up briefly.
This occurs at an altitude of 80 to 100km and the beacon ‘illuminates’ a region with a diameter of about 400km centred on its location near Mansfield.