(meteorobs) OT...Commodore Perry and the 'meteor' (or UFO)

Arlene Carol arlene.carol at gmail.com
Sat Aug 25 14:21:10 EDT 2007


Pete, Anthony, et al...
what about just a fantastic earthgrazer? is there such a thing outside a
regular meteor shower as a sporatic? i would imagine so.

the Red tail sounds very strange to me but maybe someone else here
as seen one like that...

ar.

On 8/25/07, Bias, Peter V <pbias at flsouthern.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi Arlene and all,
>
> Commodore Perry's personal description appears to me to be consistent
> with a brilliant fireball. The only odd part is that it is 15 degrees
> above the horizon. Usually fireballs are not quite as impressive that
> low in the sky (just an arm-length's upturned fist and a half off the
> horizon). Still, the straight trajectory and gradual drift to the
> horizon, along with the sparks coming from the wedged-shaped tail match
> very well with a meteor. Remember, brilliant fireballs don't look a lot
> like a regular "falling star"!
>
> Pete Bias
> Lakeland Florida USA
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org [mailto:meteorobs-
> > bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Arlene Carol
> > Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 2:00 PM
> > To: meteorobs
> > Subject: (meteorobs) OT...Commodore Perry and the 'meteor' (or UFO)
> >
> > We get reruns of many US tv programs here. I was listening to a
> History
> > Channel production and heard a report about Commodore Perry's sighting
> of
> > a
> > very strange object that he called a 'meteor'. well, it sure doesn't
> sound
> > like a meteor even to me!! I can't imagine what they saw. Could it
> have
> > been
> > 'ball lightening' ? St. Elmo's fire?
> > I have never seen that either but surely a Naval Commander would have
> seen
> > it before, right? want to venture a guess what it was? I do remember
> that
> > strange lights were reported in the sea just before the Big Earthquake
> > here
> > in 1999. Maybe it was something like that...I have no idea.
> >
> > did a quick search at Google and found this. If anyone has the actual
> log
> > or
> > journal of Commodore Perry, I guess that would be even more
> interesting to
> > read... the url of this info is:
> > http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/ry_litho_main.shtml
> >
> > Perry and the "UFO." A History Channel program on Unidentified Flying
> > Objects and the "Pacific Triangle" (aired December 3, 2006 and
> earlier)
> > implied that while anchored in Uraga Bay on July 9, 1853, a UFO was
> seen
> > by
> > members of the squadron. While certainly not characterizing it as a
> UFO
> > sighting, Roger Pineau in his book *The Japan Expedition 1852-1854,
> The
> > Personal Journal of Commodore Matthew C. Perry*, presents a
> description of
> > the incident as it was reported in Commodore Perry's journal. On the
> first
> > visit to Japan, the American squadron anchored in Edo Bay off the city
> of
> > Uraga on July 8. In his journal Perry recounted a report by Lieutenant
> > Duer,
> > the watch commander, in these terms:
> >
> > In the later part of the night of Friday, the day of our casting
> anchor
> > upon
> > the coast of Japan, a most remarkable meteor was seen by Lieutenant
> Duer
> > in
> > command of the watch, who describes it as follows:
> >
> > During the watch from midnight to 4 A.M. a very remarkable meteor was
> > seen.
> > It made its appearance in the south and west and illuminated the whole
> > atmosphere. The spars, sails and hulls of the ships in company as well
> as
> > our own reflected its glare as distinctly as though a blue light were
> > burning from each at the same time. From the south and west about 15
> > degrees
> > above the horizon it pursued a north-easterly course in a direct line
> for
> > a
> > long distance, when it fell gradually toward the sea and disappeared.
> Its
> > shape was that of a large blue sphere with a red wedge-shaped tail,
> which
> > it
> > could be easily observed was formed of ignited particles, and
> resembled
> > the
> > sparks of a rocket as they appear upon its explosion. (Perry's
> Personal
> >
> Journal<http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/ry_litho_narrative.shtml#perso
> na
> > l_journal>at
> > page 91)
> >
> >  In Volume 1 of the Government narrative an identical account of this
> > "interesting meteorological phenomenon" is related at page 236.
> > ---
> > Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> > http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>
>
>
> ---
> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>


More information about the Meteorobs mailing list