Dashcam footage
Dashcam footage is video from car cameras, which often captures bright fireballs and helps scientists trace them.
A dashcam is a small camera fixed to a car's windscreen that records the road ahead. Many drivers use them, and doorbell and security cameras work in a similar way. Because they record continuously, they often capture unexpected events, including bright fireballs.
The Chelyabinsk fireball of February 2013 was one of the best-recorded natural events in history, largely because so many Russian motorists had dashcams. Scientists used the videos, together with the positions of street lamps and buildings in the frames, to reconstruct its path, speed and the timing of its fragmentation. Doorbell cameras also helped trace the Winchcombe fireball in the UK in 2021.
If you capture a fireball on camera, keep the original file unchanged and note the date, time and the camera's location and direction. Then report it to a fireball reporting service. Even a few seconds of video can help pinpoint where meteorites may have landed.
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Level: Beginner Ages 7 and up