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Irish Astronomers Investigate Sky Explosion

Posted by timothy on from the stopping-snake-attacks-since-400-AD dept.

puroresu writes "Astronomers in Ireland have appealed to the public to contact them with eyewitness accounts of a massive explosion in the sky over the country. From the BBC: 'Astronomy Ireland chairman David Moore said: "So far, reports have been registered by residents in west Cork, Kerry, Cavan and as far north as Donegal, thus suggesting that this spectacular event may have been witnessed by people all over the country. In the past two decades there have been two major explosions in the skies over Ireland. When we investigated these, we were able to conclude that one was a Russian military satellite that exploded over the country, and the other was a rock from space."'"

3 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. no telescope by backslashdot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Too bad the Leviathan of Parsonstown is not in operation and they let it rot, maybe they'd have been able to track it properly.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_of_Parsonstown

    1. Re:no telescope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Because of the castled walls on either side, it looks a bit like a giant catapult and relies on the earth for much of its Azimuth range of motion. Given the cloudy skies and its limited pointing ability, it wouldn't make a good comet or asteroid scope, but it's owner did discover the spiral nature of galaxies through it and it is by far the biggest telescope I've peered through with my own eyes (during a star party in 2001). I've no idea what dim starfield I was gazing at but I suspect it was far beyond the reach of any amateur scope I've had access to.

  2. Re:Robin Williams by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The rather worrying thing about Miss South Carolina isn't that she got tongue tied but that in the interview she gave after the event she clearly demonstrates she isn't of above average intelligence yet seems to have a university place.

    If she is capable of a degree in an American university what value is there in an American degree?