Meteor Over Midwest

bigpat writes "According to this story in the Chicago Tribune or this article, a meteor estimated to be the size of a 'Volkswagen bug' exploded over the Midwest around midnight yesterday morning. The resulting small meteorites hit homes causing some damage. The largest meteorite collected was 7.5 pounds. So why do astronomers always compare the size of meteors to Volkswagen bugs?"

Comments

Why Not

[Oculus Habent]

So why do astronomers always compare the size of meteors to Volkswagen bugs?

Perhaps you would prefer an Isetta.

Re:Why Not

[SpaceLifeForm]

The VW bugs are used as a comparison because they have been around as long as meteors and last nearly as long too.

Re:Why Not

[neuroticia]

Actually, it's because the VW Bug is a common object in American culture, and probably elsewhere in the world as well. When you say "VW Bug", it doesn't take a whole lot of scrabbling around in ones memory to come up with an appropriate mental picture of how large the asteroid is. If someone said 'The size of a Toyota Camry', it would be a bit more difficult--and "The size of a small car" is a tad too open to interpretation. Because the design of the bug (size-wise) has remained consistent for a LONG time, the mental image people get will be consistent with the image astronomers/the media want people to get.

Most people can relate better to an image of "A meteor the size of a volkswagon bug impacted with the moon" rather than "A x ton meteor impacted with the moon". The relationship to a physical object that most people have encountered in their lifetime rather than an abstract measurement of weight, elicits the desired emotional response from people. Awe. If you say "A x-ton meteor", it won't be quite as impressive as saying "A meteor the size of the empire state building", no matter how many tons "x" is.

For abstract numbers, people need a sense of scale. "The new budget for executive toenail clippers is equivalent to the salaries of 1200 secretaries." It's more likely to bring about anger at the stupidity of the budget than a number is.

-Sara

Re:Why Not

[Mysticalfruit]

Duh... After the scientists made contact with aliens, they decided to standardize all measurements on the VolksWagen Bug, shorted as VWB.

Hence, when an alien vessel parks in earth orbit, it's size is referred to in cublic VWB's.

Hence, smaller objects are referred to in terms of they're size as a percentage of 1 VWB. Since a VWB was about 900 pounds (I think) then I'm 1/4.5ths of a VWB in terms of mass...

Re:Why Not

[fishbowl]

It would not surprise me in the least to hear of VWOA issuing cease and desist orders against the use of "Volkswagen" and "Bug".

This isn't even a joke.

I understand that corporations are obligated to defend their trademarks, but I disagree that they are forced into the brutally hostile position, like in VW's case, attacking the people who have made the whole aircooled vw hobby possible, making aftermarket parts, doing rallys, publishing magazines, that sort of thing.

I've been a VW enthusiast for a very long time. My first car was a beetle, in 1979. I've owned 7 vw's of various types. But VW's trademark escapades were the main influence against me buying a Passat. I won't touch VW ever again, after what they've done to the hobbyists in the name of "trademark protection".

I really do not believe there's any law that obligates you to be an asshole. That's just how it is interpreted by people who need an excuse to play bully.

Re:Why Not

[Scaba]

Hmmm, and I thought they compared them to VW Bugs because that's all scientists can afford to drive.

Re:Why Not

[fitten]

I agree.

Should we have a new metric measurement? The Bug? :) We could have milliBug, centiBug, Bug, kiloBug, etc!

Re:Why Not

[JahToasted]

So how long before Bush decides invades Germany for building VWMDs?

Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[Drunken Coward]

Meteor strikes like these are not as uncommon as one may think, it's just that the information is rarely released in such a public fashion. Who wants to release news that may create mass hysteria?

The issue is that the scientific community has chosen to withhold any information regarding the potential threat of meteors for this very reason. With more public acknowledgement of the problem, we could develop something like the Patriot missile defense system for extraterrestrial bodies so things like this would not happen. The trillions of dollars spent on SDI and later the Patriot system would have been better spent on such protection.

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[Anonymous Coward]

Who wants to release news that may create mass hysteria?

Ohh me me me - pick me please please pleeeeease me me memememememe!!!

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[nomadicGeek]

Ok, I'm calling bullshit on this one.

Trillions of dollars? You realize that the US economy is about $10 trillion a year. Do you really think that we spent that much on the patriot system and SDI research?

Secondly: Maybe I am really uninformed. I can't remember anyone that I know every being hurt my a meteor. I can't even remember any friend of a friend type stories. Is it really that serious? Worth spending a significant portion of the GDP (trillions) on?

Maybe I am just nieve and my grandma was really hit by a meteor and didn't have a stroke. Maybe the stroke was caused by a meteor?

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[Sgt York]

Well, it's rare, but it does happen....

Injuries were light.

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[MacGod]

the Patriot missile defense system for extraterrestrial bodies

Why do I feel like there's a Captain Kirk Joke in there? Something to do with missles and alien bodies perhaps?

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[DeputySpade]

Worse yet, they may mistake my volkswagen beetle for a meteor. :P

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[LMCBoy]

Sorry, DC, I'm afraid I don't quite agree with your detective work there...

Meteor strikes like these are not as uncommon as one may think, it's just that the information is rarely released in such a public fashion. Who wants to release news that may create mass hysteria?

Meteor falls are quite rare, actually. There are typically about 50 recorded per year for the entire planet.

Do you really think that stories on meteor falls are being suppressed by the media? Really? I just can't believe that anyone would think that the media would not pounce on such a story. And to give as justification that they are worried about causing mass hysteria is just laughable. (A) the news media lives and breathes by ratings, and disaster stories create high ratings; (B) where is the "mass hysteria" that this event (which the Chicago Tribune so foolishly refused to suppress) caused? There isn't any, because people understand that these are rare events. So when they occur, they are regarded as an interesting novelty, not as a portend of coming doom.

With more public acknowledgement of the problem, we could develop something like the Patriot missile defense system for extraterrestrial bodies so things like this would not happen.

God, what a phenomenal waste of effort and money that would be. Who gives a damn about this class of meteor fall? Are you truly suggesting the government invest trillions so that some dude's bedroom mirror doesn't get broken by a falling rock? Get some perspective, man, there are far more dangerous things to worry about than falling VW-sized rocks.

Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon

[guacamolefoo]

Yes, we should spend money on a metor defense system since they do kill almost 0 people per year.

Assume that:

1. A meteor (of catastrophic size) will strike the Earth every 60 million years or so; and
2. Said meteor would wipe out most of the population if not diverted or destroyed;
3. Assuming a human perceives his life as being worth $5,000,000 in constant dollars (about what Kip Viscusi came up with in a study a number of years ago); and
4. Assuming a population of 10,000,000,000 earthlings, then:

1. The value of human life is approximately 50,000,000,000,000,000, or 50 quadrillion dollars.

2. The chance of being hit by a catastrophic meteor in a given year is 1/60,000,000

3. The average annual cost of a meteorite premium for "Earth insurance" should be about 50,000,000,000,000,000/60,000,000, or $833,333,333.33 in today's dollars.

Conclusion:

A small price to pay on a yearly basis.

Action plan:

Contact FEMA and ask if humanity can purchase a meteor rider for its flood insurance policy, which was issued by God (tm) to some Jews a few thousand years back.

GF.

Ford Pintos

[Lxy]

Why not a Ford Pinto?

They explode when they crash....

Volkswagen bugs? Use real units!

[CrystalFalcon]

Volkswagen? That unit is meaningless to me. How many Volkswagen bugs are there in one Library of Congress?

VWs are popular

[Rinikusu]

Because there are probably more VW's on the road in just about any country you can imagine. Tell someone something was the size of a VW Bug and an image instantly comes to mind (not to mention that being an highly "odd" shape, it helps me conjure an irregular surfaced object). For example "It was the size of a VW bug" as opposed to "It was an irregular object approximately 2 meters by 5 meters by 2 meters", which is more helpful to the average person, even someone in the science fields?

Relax...

[jpsst34]

It's not just meteors that get compared to volkswagon bugs, those little things are used in all kinds of analogies.

"You see, Bruce, I like to pick up girls on the rebound from a disappointing relationship. They're much more in need of solace and they're fairly open to suggestion. And, I use that to fuck them some place very uncomfortable."

"What, like the back of a Volkswagen?"

New Midwest slogan for farms that got hit...

[Gorphrim]

Move over bacon...now there's something meteor.

Explanation

[Joe the Lesser]

"I thought, 'Is it God? Is it an attack? Are we going to die?' The light freaked me out. It felt really funny, like it went through me," she said.

In a statement released later, God denied any involvement in the meteor attack on Chicago, saying he was busy blessing and damning souls at the time. No other supernaturals have commented on the charges, although the leader of the Vulcans stated that attributing the attack to them would, of course, be highly illogical.

Paranormal scientists currently are investigating the Roman and Greek Dieties for involvment, as they could not be found anywhere, perhaps in hiding.

Just once...

[pergamon]

...I'd like to hear a report of an actual Volkswagen Bug entering the atmosphere from space and crashing. I imagine the report would go something like this:

A Volkswagen Bug estimated to be the size of a 'meteor' exploded over the Midwest around midnight yesterday morning. The resulting small pieces of engine and other parts hit homes causing some damage. The largest piece found was the steering wheel.

Today a Volkswagen Bug, approximately the size of a meteorite,

Pointy Haired Boss

[sfled]

From the story:

Garza said he was in bed when heard his dog barking and what sounded like thunder. He got out of bed and was downstairs when the meteor hit.

This morning, he called his boss and told him he wasn't coming into work today. "I told him what happened, and he said, 'Okay, but don't use that excuse again.'"

Now, *that* is a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool, head-up-the-ass boss!

Great Reminder.

[pete-classic]

"I thought, 'Is it God? Is it an attack? Are we going to die?' The light freaked me out. It felt really funny, like it went through me," she said.

I need to see something like this, from time to time. It reminds me that, on an evolutionary time scale, we just stepped out of the caves a few moments ago.

I'm not saying the human race is doomed. But we do still have one hell of a long road ahead of us. I'm going to read some Sci-Fi now.

-Peter

Re:Great Reminder.

[crustBro]

me and a bunch of friends were out on a week long mountain biking trip in the wilderness Moab, Utah the third night out we were treated to the full lunar eclipse that occured while the Hale-Bopp Comet was visible we were toally awed by the celestial display one of my friends commented that "A few thousand years ago, this would have been taken as an omen. Perhaps an omen of the end of the earth!" we all chuckled and got a bit smug about how far we've come as a civilization five days later we returned from the wilderness, switched on the TV in the motel room and were treated to the news of the Heaven's Gate mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe (about 20 minutes from where we all grew up). We had to re-evaluate our smug attitude about how far our civilization has progressed. Just stepped out of the cave. Indeed.

Pictures of it

[alien88]

Nbc 5 has some nice pictures of the meteor. The slideshow is really cool. Spaceweather.com also has some more information concerning it.

I was one of the people that felt and heard the sonic boom it created, my sister witnessed it in the sky.

1728

[cybercuzco]

How many Volkswagen bugs are there in one Library of Congress?

1728

Scientists can be Wierd

[arloguthrie]

From the Boston.com article:

''For me, it's a dream come true,'' [astronomy professor Paul Sipiera] said. ''I always tell my wife that when I die, I hope I get hit in the head by a meteorite flying through the roof and it came pretty close,'' he said.

To which his wife certainly sighed and replied, "Damn."

Do other scientists feel this way? Does a marine biologist hope to be devoured by sharks? Does a physicist hope an aberration in quantum mechanics obliterates his or her body? Does an anthropologist secretly yearn to be a headhunter's next prize?

VW Bug Size Ratio

[Nutcase]

So why do astronomers always compare the size of meteors to Volkswagen bugs?

Because, interestingly enough, the VW Beetle is the only current automobile which has a size which "The Size of Texas" is evenly divisible by. It just sounds better than saying 1/22349938th the size of Texas.

As for Bug comparisons...

[pjt48108]

"So why do astronomers always compare the size of meteors to Volkswagen bugs"

Have you ever seen an astronomer's paycheck? There's a reason they never compare anything to a Crown Victoria or an SUV, though you might see comparisons made to 'big as two Bugs' in such cases.