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Re: (meteorobs) Fireball Reporting

In a message dated 96-07-08 00:56:28 EDT, you write:

<< Mark,
 
 I believe that everyone who corresponds here is responsible enough to
 contact NASA directly should a extraordinary fireball event occur. I do
 not believe that going through anyone in ALPO, the IMO, or NAMN would
 prove beneficial. It would just slow down the process of reporting such
 an event when time is of the essence.
 
 What needs to be determined is the limiting magnitude of such a "call
 for action". It should probably be -10 and brighter. There are too many
 events fainter than -10 to warrant NASA ending up on a wild goose
 chase.
 
 Bob Lunsford
  >>
-------

I agree with Bob here 100%...too many middle men may just slow things down
considerably.  I recommend that we as individuals try to contact the NASA guy
and post it here as insurance.  I also emailed him the other day asking for
some parameters...such as How bright a significant Fireball event is he
talking about, How long after the event is it considered too late, and just
where abouts in the U.S. is considered convenient.  No response as of yet...

I too think a -10 would be a valid cutoff point...or perhaps those that
create sonic booms or rumblings somewhere?  We may not have to see these
things ourselves...just be alert to what we read online.  If reports come in
about sonic booms and rumblings, perhaps the first of us to become aware of
this ought to alert NASA and give what known information is available? We can
enlist the traditional non observers about how imperative it is to receive
info fast about reports of a sonic boom type fireball so that NASA can react
by posting it on our respective Bulletin boards?  I'd stress sonic booms and
rumblings as a criteria for these folks since they probably have no inkling
what a -10 magnitude fireball would look like...anything over -3 would appear
to be an asteroid for these non experienced people and would only create more
wild goose chases and down grade our potential.  I also think we can announce
this in our various Newsletters...once we hammer out the details.  
George Z.