Posted by
michael
on from the snap-crackle-pop dept.
Earendi1 writes "Space.com has an article indicating that it's possible to "listen" to the Leonid meteor shower on radio and television.
Basically, it explains that meteors can cause reception of weak, distant radio stations in the FM band and TV stations between channels 2 & 6."
Listening in
by
MacAndrew
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
When I was an active pilot flying in or near thunderstorms, I used to tune the ADB receiver (a low radio frequency directional device, bracketing the AM radio band) to an unoccupied channel and listen to the discharges. The rhythm (random?) of the static was hypnotic -- sometimes long silences, sometimes clusters, nearer discharges being much louder. I imagine one could pick up signals 100+ miles away. The ADB arrow would franticly try to track the most recent or powerful discharge. (It was said that when the arrow was pointing in all directions, you were in trouble -- sane pilots are very wary of thunderstorms).
I imagine meteors would sound similar? Will recordings be posted?
Meteor Acoustics
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Any many say you can hear them too! See, for example Leonid Meteor Sounds. Could be the power of suggestion, but one theory says that EMF from the ionization induces sounds in metallic nearby objects.
Re:Interesting...
by
adolf
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Naah.
According to this chart, channel 6's FM audio resides at 87.75MHz.
College/non-profit radio station FM frequency allocations start at 88.1MHz.
Meteor scatter manifests as the ability to recieve distant, over-the-horizon broadcasts which are normally inaccessible, not as the ability to recieve local stations at a different frequency than perhaps you should.
What you are experiencing is just one FM broadcaster stomping on another's frequency, and the tuner being unable to sort them out. You've heard this before: When driving in the car trying listen to 103.7, but getting bleed from the adjacent stations at 103.5 and 103.9.
A Rotel tuner that I have will tune down to 87.5MHz. I used to get a kick out of listening to channel 6's audio with the stereo.
Slashdot Mirror
When I was an active pilot flying in or near thunderstorms, I used to tune the ADB receiver (a low radio frequency directional device, bracketing the AM radio band) to an unoccupied channel and listen to the discharges. The rhythm (random?) of the static was hypnotic -- sometimes long silences, sometimes clusters, nearer discharges being much louder. I imagine one could pick up signals 100+ miles away. The ADB arrow would franticly try to track the most recent or powerful discharge. (It was said that when the arrow was pointing in all directions, you were in trouble -- sane pilots are very wary of thunderstorms).
I imagine meteors would sound similar? Will recordings be posted?
Any many say you can hear them too! See, for example Leonid Meteor Sounds. Could be the power of suggestion, but one theory says that EMF from the ionization induces sounds in metallic nearby objects.
Check out Slash for Astronomy at
M57: The Ring
Naah.
According to this chart, channel 6's FM audio resides at 87.75MHz.
College/non-profit radio station FM frequency allocations start at 88.1MHz.
Meteor scatter manifests as the ability to recieve distant, over-the-horizon broadcasts which are normally inaccessible, not as the ability to recieve local stations at a different frequency than perhaps you should.
What you are experiencing is just one FM broadcaster stomping on another's frequency, and the tuner being unable to sort them out. You've heard this before: When driving in the car trying listen to 103.7, but getting bleed from the adjacent stations at 103.5 and 103.9.
A Rotel tuner that I have will tune down to 87.5MHz. I used to get a kick out of listening to channel 6's audio with the stereo.
Kid-proof tablet..
While that hasn't been my experience, all you really need is a way to tell the difference.
If the static goes away and the radio gets quieter for a moment, that is still a fine indication of the meteor.
And of course you can simply invert thr graph to make these look like peaks instead of notches.
I'll post my results at the Scitoys message board.
Free book: Science Toys You Can Make