Meteor Spectra

From the spectra of meteors it is possible to derive both the meteroids chemical composition and the excited atoms and molecules from the high atmosphere that produced the shooting star phenomenon.

The picture above was taken photographically by Ed Majden (Canada) in 1983. To obtain spectra that way you need a bright fireball, which is why meteor spectra are still quite rare.

The animation below comes from Ondrejov Observatory. They have been using image intensified video systems for recording meteor spectra for several years. The main problem of these systems is the limited dispersion due to the low spatial resolution of the intensifier. However, video spectra show the dynamic aspect of meteors very well. Some lines appear early in the spectrum and disappear soon, whereas other spectral feature show up later and persist for a much longer time.