PhD in Geographical and Earth Sciences and Mathematics and Statistics There are GIANTs Glorious Incandescent Anthropogenic and Natural Transients in the Sky

Details

Start date: 01 October 2026

Aim: The aim of this research project is to leverage the rich and diverse data set of all sky images generated nightly by the UK Fireball Alliance network of cameras [1,2]. These data will be mined to develop new mathematical approaches to model the bright flight of fireballs generated by hypervelocity objects (from meteorites to space junk) entering Earth’s atmosphere [3-5], as well as develop numerical approaches to explore luminous atmospheric transients (from tracking satellites to monitoring weather systems to discovering flaring stars).

Background information: The UK Fireball alliance is a network of cameras designed to detect meteors and recover meteorites in the UK [1]. UKFAll has over a decade worth of images and videos of the night skies above the UK which contain meteors as well as other atmospheric phenomena that are yet to be fully explored [2]. Of particular interest are fireballs which are bright fast moving dramatic meteors that herald the arrival of space rocks or artificial space debris [3-5]. Space junk has been highlighted as a growing hazard both in space and here on Earth [6]. As such we need a deeper understanding of how to cost effectively track these objects in space [7] and understand the physics of their re-entry [5]. In addition, as UKFAll is a continuous multi-station observatory it is always ‘on the sky’ and camera networks worldwide are often the first observatories to ‘capture’ events in space e.g. LIGO’s detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star merger [8]. Thus, there is a plethora of interesting atmospheric phenomena that could be discovered in a decade worth of observations from the frequency of lightning strikes to supernovae.

Methods. This is a multidisciplinary project. We will combine all sky imaging with mathematical approaches. Mathematical models will be developed to improve bright flight modelling of fireballs from both meteorites and space debris. Machine learning will be employed to detect satellite streaks in images and videos from the UK Fireball Alliance network and determine their orbit to track them in near-real time. In addition, the same approach will be used to survey the data for other atmospheric phenomena e.g. flaring starts, supernovae, weather systems etc.

Research outputs: The results from this project will be communicated to the wider scientific community via student attendance at both national and international conferences, as well as scientific publications and thesis submission. The work will be shared with the public via outreach events that the student will be encouraged to participate in.

Eligibility: The project is suitable for a UK or international graduate with a 2:1 honours degree or above (or international equivalent) in a Science or Engineering discipline. The ideal candidate will have an interest in space and experience of Mathematical modelling and image processing techniques.

References

[1] https://ukfall.org.uk/

[2]Rowe, J., et al., (2020). Using incompatible fireball camera systems to find meteorites–towards a data exchange standard (No. EPSC2020-856). Copernicus Meetings.

[3] Bland, P. A., & Benedix, G. K. (2015). Catching a falling star (or meteorite)–Fireball camera networks in the 21st century. Elements magazine, 160-161.

[4] Sansom, E. K., Bland, P., Paxman, J., & Towner, M. (2015). A novel approach to fireball modeling: The observable and the calculated. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 50(8), 1423-1435.

[5] Peña-Asensio, E., et al., (2021). Using fireball networks to track more frequent reentries: Falcon 9 upper-stage orbit determination from video recordings. Astrodynamics, 5(4), 347-358.

[6] UK National Space Strategy, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6196205ce90e07043d677cca/national-space-strategy.pdf

[7] Jansen-Sturgeon, T., et al., (2020). Recreating the OSIRIS-REx slingshot manoeuvre from a network of ground-based sensors. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 37, e049.

[8]Andreoni, I., et al., (2017). Follow up of GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart by Australian-led observing programmes. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 34, e069.