(meteorobs) RE: Explosion Observed

[Tony Beresford]

At 08:42 16/05/06, Robert Anderson wrote:
>All, 
>
>Please help me here. What is a GRB? 
>
>Sorry for the "tongue in cheek" measurements. I tried to find known
>references to help describe it as best I could, but due to the rapid nature
>of the event it was difficult. This is my first attempt to report an
>observation and in the process struggled over the magnitude and size.
>
>If it was a "stationary meteor", then would not another observer at
>different latitude viewing the same object notice a trail?
A GRB is a gamma ray burst. a request to google will give several sites explaining
the phenomena.
There was no GRB at the time of your sighting,
see gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov though.
It seems to me you observed this event in your telescope,
and it showed a finite size this removes the GRB explanation,
as well as a glint from a satellite explanation.
So the only one left is a meteor heading directly for you.

Since average meteors happen about 50-60 miles up
anybody displaced that measure away from you would see
a mag 2-3 regular meteor, ending in a terminal explosion.
Tony Beresford
Adelaide , So. Australia