Spectroscopic Studies of Meteors within the Skytinel NetworkOPEN ACCESS
Ernest Świerczyński, Mateusz Żmija, Paweł Zaręba, Tomasz Żywczak
Submitted to Astronomische Nachrichten, 18 October 2026
“We present 12 low-resolution meteor spectra recorded at four stations of the Skytinel network in Poland, focusing on consistent reduction and comparison of Fe, Mg, and Na emission features. Spectra spanning approximately 350–850 nm were extracted, background-subtracted, and wavelength-calibrated using IRAF. Corrections accounted for the wavelength-dependent quantum efficiencies of Sony IMX249 and IMX273 detectors and atmospheric attenuation as a function of observing geometry. The corrected spectra were decomposed into Fe, Mg, and Na components using selected atomic transitions, temperature-dependent emissivities, and pseudo-Voigt line profiles. Integrated Fe I-15, Mg I-2, and Na I-1 intensities were compared in a ternary diagram. Most spectra overlap with or lie near the normal-meteor distribution in reference samples, while some extend toward Fe-rich or Na-rich regions. The most Fe-dominated event assigns approximately 81% of the summed emission to Fe I-15. These ratios characterize relative emission, not elemental abundances or bulk composition. Combined with trajectory and photometric data, spectral classification may help constrain plausible material properties in dark-flight models and refine predicted meteorite search areas”
