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Fireballs Awe Early November Skywatchers

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the ufos-and-you dept.

saskboy writes "NASA reports that an unusual number of fireball meteor sightings have been reported recently, possibly due to the larger number of people being outside for Halloween trick or treating, and others looking for the highly visible planet Mars while it's in the planetary neighborhood. From the article: "On Oct. 30, for example, Bill Plaskon of Jonesport, Maine, was 'observing Mars through a 10-inch telescope at 10:04 p.m. EST when a brilliant fireball lit up the sky and left a short corkscrew-like smoke trail that lasted about 1 minute.' The physical cause of the fireballs in the sky are likely the Taurid meteor shower. According to the International Meteor Organization, the Taurid shower peaks between Nov. 5th and Nov. 12th. 'Earth takes a week or two to traverse the swarm. This comparatively long duration means you don't get spectacular outbursts like a Leonid meteor storm,' rather closer to 'one every few hours.'" These meteor sightings have also, of course, sparked UFO speculation.

4 of 32 comments (clear)

  1. Saw one a couple of days ago.... by dave-tx · · Score: 3, Interesting
    ....while driving to work in the early morning. Brightest one I'd ever seen, and was quite a shock to see so clearly amidst the street and traffic lights. Honestly had no idea they could be so bright - it was easy to see it break up and fragment. Very cool indeed!

    --

    >> "What would the robut do? Frame someone!"

  2. Sigh... by FourStarGeneral · · Score: 2
    These meteor sightings have also, of course, sparked UFO speculation.

    Oh, boy. Why don't these people just GROW UP!?!?!?!?! If there were UFOs "out there", at least the sort we could recognize, they would surely have either made themselves known, conquered, or otherwise interactred with us by now. Of course, since the probability of a humanoid ET is extremely small (something like a billion to 1), the probability is likewise that any ETs that exist would interact with us in a manner detectable by our three-dimenstional senses. Additionally, with the incalculable vastness of space, the chances of an ET being in our little corner of it are even smaller. So, no UFOs. Sorry, guys.

    Offtopic or insightful, it's your call, mods.

    --
    Resistance... is futile.
  3. UFO's... by sadler121 · · Score: 2, Funny

    With the emergence of "Bird Flu" that is spreading rapedily across the world and now 'fireballs' appearing in the sky, all I have is one thing to say...

    Hallowed are the Orii

  4. Yeah, so I was drunk by DoctaWatson · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm glad to hear the fireball I saw in the sky last night wasn't just a figment of my tequila-soaked imagination.