The detection of transient optical events at narrowband visible wavelengths

Remote sensing of optical transients a paradigmatic shift in approach to th e detection and identification of anthropogenic terrestrial events. For the most part, short-lived optical events lasting from tens of milliseconds to a few seconds are either undetectable or ignored by most current satellite remote sensing systems. The work described in this article shows that by d isregarding transient data, important information about the event source is discarded. This oversight is significant, since the desired information re garding the source may be gleaned within seconds of event onset. These data give an observer the opportunity to rapidly evaluate and respond. Work to date has focused on high-speed, high-resolution imaging at narrowband visib le wavelengths that simultaneously captures transient histories and suppres ses background clutter from reflected sunlight. Experiments conducted at Ca pe Canaveral, Florida, have used a high-speed digital camera system and a n arrow band-pass filter centered at 589 nm. These experiments have resulted in characterization of the ignition flash and initial plume signature from several large rocket boosters while suppressing daylight background clutter .