Draft:Meteorite Observation and Recovery Program

Meteorite Observation and Recovery Program
AbbreviationMORP
Established1971; 55 years ago (1971)
DissolvedMarch 31, 1985; 41 years ago (1985-03-31)
Location(s)

The Meteorite Observation and Recovery Program (or MORP) was a scientific program in the Canadian Prairies that operated from 1971 to 1985. Its aim was to photograph meteors, determine where they landed, and thus locate and analyse their meteorites. The program consisted of a network of twelve observatories. The Innisfree meteorite was the only meteorite recovered during the program; more meteorites were recovered later using data from the program.

History

The program was planned and constructed in the 1960s by the Astronomy Divison of Dominion Observatory.[1] The prairie provinces of Alberta, Sasketchewan, and Manitoba were chosen because of their clear night-sky conditions and suitable terrain. Site searches began in 1966. Eight of the twelve observatory sites were selected in 1967, and the other four were selected in 1968. The network was operated from a headquarters in the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The observatory near Asquith was the first to be constructed for the network in 1968. The network became fully operational in 1971.[1][2][3]

The program maintained detailed records of the sky on 70mm film from 29 March 1974 until the end of the program on 31 March 1985.[4]

The program ended in 1985.[why?][5]

Observatories

The MORP network consisted of 12 observatories, named after nearby settlements:[1]

MORP Observatory Locations
Observatory Coordinates Elevation (metres)
Asquith 52°12′04″N 107°07′04″W / 52.20111°N 107.11778°W / 52.20111; -107.11778 527
Neilburg 52°41′25″N 109°36′11″W / 52.69028°N 109.60306°W / 52.69028; -109.60306 651
Vegreville 53°32′03″N 112°06′45″W / 53.53417°N 112.11250°W / 53.53417; -112.11250 640
Lousana 52°07′42″N 113°11′48″W / 52.12833°N 113.19667°W / 52.12833; -113.19667 929
Brooks 50°29′53″N 111°53′15″W / 50.49806°N 111.88750°W / 50.49806; -111.88750 774
Leader 50°54′01″N 109°37′1″W / 50.90028°N 109.61694°W / 50.90028; -109.61694 677
Ernfold 50°31′18″N 106°51′04″W / 50.52167°N 106.85111°W / 50.52167; -106.85111 710
Lajord 50°16′21″N 104°09′28″W / 50.27250°N 104.15778°W / 50.27250; -104.15778 600
Langenburg 50°44′51″N 101°43′08″W / 50.74750°N 101.71889°W / 50.74750; -101.71889 512
Alonsa 50°44′36″N 99°03′31″W / 50.74333°N 99.05861°W / 50.74333; -99.05861 287
Birch River 52°24′06″N 101°00′49″W / 52.40167°N 101.01361°W / 52.40167; -101.01361 277
Watson 52°01′29″N 104°34′21″W / 52.02472°N 104.57250°W / 52.02472; -104.57250 533

Innisfree Meteorite

The MORP program led to the recovery of the Innisfree meteorite in 1977.[1][5][6] This meteorite fell on February 5, 1977, and was found on February 17, at a site 13 km northeast of Innisfree, Alberta.[7][8] It was the only meteorite observed by the program that was recovered before the program ended.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Halliday, Ian; Blackwell, Alan T.; Griffin, Arthur A. (1978). "The Innisfree Meteorite and the Canadian Camera Network". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 72 (1). Bibcode:1978JRASC..72...15H.
  2. ^ Cloutis, Edward; Zalcik, Mark; Blakey, Winston; Dowd, Angela; McPhee, Allison; Abell, Paul; Blakey, Janet; Davies, Bonita; Love, Laura; Gutsell, Jeff; Unger, Rick; Keller, Greg; Fougere, Don; Fougere, Skye; Klushin, Sid; Mysyk, Kim; Paulson, Murray (February 2001). "A Recent Field Campaign to Recover Meteorites Detected by the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Program" (PDF). The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 95 (1): 26.
  3. ^ Brown, Peter; Mark, Zalcik (June 1992). "Recent Field Research on Potential Meteorite Falls From the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 86 (2): 130–139. Bibcode:1992JRASC..86..130B.
  4. ^ Halliday, Ian; Griffin, Arthur A.; Blackwell, Alan T. "Detailed data for 259 fireballs from the Canadian camera network and inferences concerning the influx of large meteoroids". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02014.x.
  5. ^ a b Halliday, Ian; Blackwell, Alan T.; Griffin, Arthur A. (April 1989). "Detailed Records of Many Unrecovered Meteorites in Western Canada for Which Further Searches Are Recommended". The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 83 (2): 49–80. Bibcode:1989JRASC..83...49H.
  6. ^ Colas, F.; Zanda, B.; Bouley, S.; Jeanne, S.; Malgoyre, A.; Birlan, M.; et al. (2020-12-01). "FRIPON: a worldwide network to track incoming meteoroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 644. A53. arXiv:2012.00616. Bibcode:2020A&A...644A..53C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202038649. ISSN 0004-6361. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  7. ^ "Entry for Innisfree". Meteoritical Bulletin Database. Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  8. ^ Graham, A. L., ed. (30 September 1978). "Fall of the Innisfree, Canada, Stony Meteorite". Meteoritical Bulletin (55): 338–339. Bibcode:1978Metic..13..327G. Retrieved 30 July 2026 – via Astrophysics Data System.
  9. ^ Devillepoix, Hadrien A. R.; Sansom, Eleanor K.; Bland, Philip A.; Towner, Martin C.; Cupák, Martin; Howie, Robert M.; Jansen‐Sturgeon, Trent; Cox, Morgan A.; Hartig, Benjamin A. D.; Benedix, Gretchen K.; Paxman, Jonathan P. (October 2018). "The Dingle Dell meteorite: A Halloween treat from the Main Belt". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 53 (10): 2212–2227. doi:10.1111/maps.13142.


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