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(meteorobs) Re: TWA800 and meteors
More comments on the following:
>>In a message dated 97-07-16 17:44:27 EDT, you write:
>>
>><< I observed a fast moving phosphorescent red object with
>> a white smoke trail traversing a great distance across the sky; ultimately
>> disappearing at or near the fire ball. >>
>>------------
>>Red?...I don't recall seeing very many, if any meteors or fireballs that has
>>had a real obvious red look to it....a few ordinary meteors that were subtle
>>in color...to which I usually classify as a slight orange tint.
>>GeoZay
>>
>I have never seen a truely red meteor either. The best I've done is
red-orange. But setting that aside, the description above is exactly like
an Atlas launch in the early 1960's from Cape Canaveral. I saw several of
those over a five-or-so year period. This description is distinctly
different from meteors, of which I have recorded about 80000 since 1960.
>
From my perspective on the beach,
>looking south (180 degree azimuth), the object moved from an elevation of
>about 50 degrees @ azimuth of about 185 degrees to the area about 5
>degrees west of the fire ball which was at about elevation 10 degrees @
>azimuth 175 degrees. This is no coincidence. The sounds that followed were
>of great magnitude - certainly of the sonic boom type. The house shook. My
>wife was in the bathroom drying my 1 year old son after his bath and she
>felt the floor of the bathroom shaking. The initial sonic rumble lasted about
>15-20 seconds and was terminated with three louder bursts within the rumble.
> It was quiet for another 15-20 seconds and then a loud blast was heard,
>shaking the house again. A few seconds later, another final loud blast was
>heard. The sounds reached me after the object and fire ball were observed.
How long after seeing anything did the first sound arrive? I would think
close to a minute, considering the plane was 10 miles offshore and sound
travels a mile in 5 seconds. Many tons of fuel exploding will make a sound
as well as heat and light.
> From my observation, the object that moved across the sky was not breaking
>up or spewing particles. Of course, in the three dimensional space of the
>sky, the two dimensional points of travel I refer to can correspond to
>various three dimensional paths.
However, if different (reliable)
>observers' coordinates and observations were ploted, what would such analysis
>reveal ?. Certainly I am dissapointed to have heard little if anything about
>such an aspect of the investigation. Sincerely, Paul
It would reveal maximally the true path of the object. But the observers
can only humanly supply approximate numbers, accurate to perhaps ten
degrees. This should be sufficient for a minimal conclusion: a
distinguishing between a missile and the plane (all below 3 miles altitude),
and a meteor (several times that altitude). That should be the goal of all
people believing in the meteor hypothesis. The solution is very simple: get
the heads of several observers of the object together and settle this once
and for all. At the altitude of meteors there would not be far less
parallax than at the plane's altitude.
Norman