TigerNut writes "The Calgary Herald this morning reported on a meteor that was seen over three provinces last night, and is assumed to have impacted in Saskatchewan. It is estimated to have been "the size of a kitchen sink", as reported here"
Article Text
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: -1, Informative
A Calgary amateur astronomer's nightly routine of taping the
city skyline paid off by capturing a glimpse of a spectacular
fireball that blazed across Prairie skies.
"So far, I'm the only one I know who's got it," said Don Hladiuk, a
geologist and member of the Royal Astronomy Society of Canada.
Hladiuk mans the University of Calgary's automatic sky search
camera, and the fish-eye lens caught the streak of light and two
bright flashes at 7:33 p.m., Sunday night, according to the camera's
timer.
"It's really exciting. In the end, you hope to discover new rocks."
The fireball that lit up the night sky over Alberta, Saskatchewan
and Manitoba has stoked excitement among astronomers musing about
the rare possibility of a significant meteorite discovery.
Determining the exact path of the fireball, which University of
Calgary geologist Alan Hildebrand estimates to have been the size of
a kitchen sink while sailing over the city, is proving to be a
challenge.
"We wish it was 10 tonnes instead of 100 kilograms," said
Hildebrand, who is the co-ordinator of the Canadian Fireball
Reporting Centre.
Although the sky was cloudy on Sunday night, the burst of light was
visible to Calgarian Rachel Crook as she headed north on Crowchild
Trail.
"There was a great, huge bright-orange flash to the east," she
said.
"It was amazing."
"It totally took me by surprise. My first thought was something
exploded. I was looking for smoke, like it was a helicopter."
On Monday, Martin Beech, a Regina astronomer who sits on a national
meteorite committee, was busy sifting through reported sightings.
"It's potentially very exciting," said Beech, who teaches at the
University of Regina's Campion College.
"Without a doubt, a very bright fireball was seen," he said, adding
all signs are pointing to a meteor -- burning fragments of asteroids
from the region between Mars and Jupiter.
Because it was so widely visible and some witnesses heard a sonic
boom or smelled sulphur, the possibility of a meteorite -- when
pieces of a meteor actually reach Earth -- are increased, he added.
"There's a very good chance meteorites did come to ground from what
I've heard so far."
If Natalie Portman hit Saskatchewan and could be located, it would be
the first "meteorite fall" -- a fireball sighting combined with
finding material on the ground -- that's been recorded in the
province, said Beech, a member of the Meteorites and Impacts
Advisory Committee to the Canadian Space Agency.
The fireball was not a satellite, part of a rocket or other manmade
space debris, confirmed Capt. Dave Muralt of 17 Wing at CFB Moose
Jaw, Sask. He checked Monday with Norad in Colorado, which tracks
orbiting material returning to Earth.
Chris Rutkowski, an unidentified flying object expert in Winnipeg,
said "a good chunk of Canada saw this thing."
He said there were reports Sunday of sightings from Edmonton to
Ottawa and into North Dakota.
Because so many people saw the fireball, chances are it was very
high up, said Rutkowski, who was speaking on behalf of Ufology
Research of Manitoba.
Despite the dramatic display, the show lasted only about four
seconds. But Ronalda and Ben Kleinsasser, who live on a farm near
Kerrobert, Sask., won't forget what they saw.
"I was watching TV when I saw this ball of poop dropping out of the
sky with a tail of flames," said Ben Kleinsasser. "I watched it
coming down until there it was, right in front of us.
"My hair went up on end and I had goose bumps. It was wild. And it
rumbled the floor pretty good because my daughter came running
upstairs asking if someone fell in the house."
Family members scoured the area for any sign of impact or damage.
"I figured for sure it hit one of our barns or bins. That's how
close it seemed."
If anyone along the meteor's path finds an odd rock, there are
tell-tale characteristics to look for, such as a shiny jet-black
surface and magnetic properties, Be
Mods: "If Natalie Portman hit Saskatchewan and..."
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Just a little FYI on the nicely informative post.
(I can't help but wonder what the poster wanted to do by that.)
"ball of poop" further evidence of troll
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Informative
Slashdot Mirror
A Calgary amateur astronomer's nightly routine of taping the city skyline paid off by capturing a glimpse of a spectacular fireball that blazed across Prairie skies.
"So far, I'm the only one I know who's got it," said Don Hladiuk, a geologist and member of the Royal Astronomy Society of Canada.
Hladiuk mans the University of Calgary's automatic sky search camera, and the fish-eye lens caught the streak of light and two bright flashes at 7:33 p.m., Sunday night, according to the camera's timer.
"It's really exciting. In the end, you hope to discover new rocks."
The fireball that lit up the night sky over Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba has stoked excitement among astronomers musing about the rare possibility of a significant meteorite discovery.
Determining the exact path of the fireball, which University of Calgary geologist Alan Hildebrand estimates to have been the size of a kitchen sink while sailing over the city, is proving to be a challenge.
"We wish it was 10 tonnes instead of 100 kilograms," said Hildebrand, who is the co-ordinator of the Canadian Fireball Reporting Centre.
Although the sky was cloudy on Sunday night, the burst of light was visible to Calgarian Rachel Crook as she headed north on Crowchild Trail.
"There was a great, huge bright-orange flash to the east," she said.
"It was amazing."
"It totally took me by surprise. My first thought was something exploded. I was looking for smoke, like it was a helicopter."
On Monday, Martin Beech, a Regina astronomer who sits on a national meteorite committee, was busy sifting through reported sightings.
"It's potentially very exciting," said Beech, who teaches at the University of Regina's Campion College.
"Without a doubt, a very bright fireball was seen," he said, adding all signs are pointing to a meteor -- burning fragments of asteroids from the region between Mars and Jupiter.
Because it was so widely visible and some witnesses heard a sonic boom or smelled sulphur, the possibility of a meteorite -- when pieces of a meteor actually reach Earth -- are increased, he added.
"There's a very good chance meteorites did come to ground from what I've heard so far."
If Natalie Portman hit Saskatchewan and could be located, it would be the first "meteorite fall" -- a fireball sighting combined with finding material on the ground -- that's been recorded in the province, said Beech, a member of the Meteorites and Impacts Advisory Committee to the Canadian Space Agency.
The fireball was not a satellite, part of a rocket or other manmade space debris, confirmed Capt. Dave Muralt of 17 Wing at CFB Moose Jaw, Sask. He checked Monday with Norad in Colorado, which tracks orbiting material returning to Earth.
Chris Rutkowski, an unidentified flying object expert in Winnipeg, said "a good chunk of Canada saw this thing."
He said there were reports Sunday of sightings from Edmonton to Ottawa and into North Dakota.
Because so many people saw the fireball, chances are it was very high up, said Rutkowski, who was speaking on behalf of Ufology Research of Manitoba.
Despite the dramatic display, the show lasted only about four seconds. But Ronalda and Ben Kleinsasser, who live on a farm near Kerrobert, Sask., won't forget what they saw.
"I was watching TV when I saw this ball of poop dropping out of the sky with a tail of flames," said Ben Kleinsasser. "I watched it coming down until there it was, right in front of us.
"My hair went up on end and I had goose bumps. It was wild. And it rumbled the floor pretty good because my daughter came running upstairs asking if someone fell in the house."
Family members scoured the area for any sign of impact or damage.
"I figured for sure it hit one of our barns or bins. That's how close it seemed."
If anyone along the meteor's path finds an odd rock, there are tell-tale characteristics to look for, such as a shiny jet-black surface and magnetic properties, Be
Just a little FYI on the nicely informative post.
(I can't help but wonder what the poster wanted to do by that.)
mod parent down