The NASA All-sky Fireball Network is a network of cameras set up by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) with the goal of observing meteors brighter than the planet Venus, which are called fireballs. The collected data will be used by the MEO in constructing models of the meteoroid environment, which are important to spacecraft designers.
The network currently consists of 12 cameras, 6 of which are placed in locations in north Alabama, north Georgia, southern Tennessee, and southern North Carolina. 4 are in the northern Ohio/Pennsylvania area, and the remaining 2 are located in southern New Mexico. 
The network is growing all the time, with plans to place a total of 15 cameras in schools, science centers, and planetaria in the United States, predominantly east of the Mississippi River, where there are few such systems.
2014 Celestial Calendar: April 8 - Mars at Opposition. The red planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Mars. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet's orange surface. You may even be able to see one or both of the bright white polar ice caps.
Check out the 2014 Celestial Calendar Tab at the top of this post. You’ll be amazed at what you can see in the night time sky with an average telescope, a good pair of binoculars, and even the naked eye.
A fireball camera is watching me then...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we have any fireball cameras in Canada. Not heard of them.
ReplyDeleteSo Mars will be close to home on Tuesday I must remember to look.
Can't have our spacecraft being knocked out of the sky by meteors.
ReplyDelete....dhole
Oh wow!! Fireballs sound super duper better than meteorites! LOL! And what an opportunity to see Mars close up!! Yay! Take care
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Hi Stephen .. fascinating to know how much scientific research into space is really going on .. and now how they're able to 'crowd-source' (if that's the right phrase) to bring more computer power together .. and enhance the work they're doing .. I loved the celestial Calendar tab too ..
ReplyDeleteCheers Hilary
So amazing how we've created such powerful cameras to look into space.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fireball is watching me, too. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I'm gonna have to check out Mars. How cool!
ReplyDeleteI get the whole camera-watching-space thingy. I just makes me wonder what else our government watches. EEK...
Sheri at Writer's Alley
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I wasn't aware that anything like this existed. Makes sense, though. :)
ReplyDeleteVery cool, didn't know we had any here in Ohio, thanks for the info. traveling suitcase A-Z
ReplyDeleteI will keep Mars in mind tomorrow, Mars at Opposition, and wave.
ReplyDeleteIt's celestial events like this that are worth marking on your calendar. My kids just love this stuff. And if you line in the city, this is a great excuse to take a trip to the country, even if it's at night.
ReplyDeleteWe're going to an astronomical gathering to see Mars. It will be in a remote mountain area so lights will be at a minimum. I'm so excited because in the group there are some amazing telescopes.
ReplyDeleteIf it's clear tomorrow night I'll be sure to step outside and take a look at Mars.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting my telescope out for tomorrow to view Mars. It looks like you might have a camera or two set up in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. This is very exciting!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.door2lore.com/3/post/2014/04/fantastical-fans-in-storytelling.html
Is it really called the Fireball Network? I think we're having cloudy skies for a few days but I'll look for Mars.
ReplyDeleteGuess it's time to get out the telescope.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they chose to put the telescopes in those areas. Are meteor sightings more common there, or is it just how it worked out? Whatever the reason, Fireball Network is a great name.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to look at all that's happening in the heavens. I think it would be fun to have a telescope.
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It's really cool to sit on your back and look up at the stars on a clear night, to count the falling stars. Tends to make you dizzy sometimes, but it's one of the most amazing things to do on a dark, crisp night.
ReplyDeleteMJ, A to Z Challenge Co-Host
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Is there anything the government isn't watching? Hahaha....
ReplyDeleteI went out to look for Mars last night but I don't know if I saw it or not. For one thing I was sure where to look and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to see. It was amazingly clear last night and despite the light pollution I could see a lot of stars.
ReplyDeleteLee
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Fireballs, wow. Who knew?
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