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(meteorobs) Daylight (noon-hour) fireball, SW Saskatchewan
This is a cross-posting from our RASC e-mail list.
- Cathy
Ottawa, Canada
********************************************************
>From: Richard Huziak <huziak@sedsystemsdot ca>
>Subject: RASC List: Daylight (noon-hour) fireball over SW Saskatchewan
>Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 22:06:56 -0400 (EDT)
>Priority: NORMAL
>X-Authentication: IMSP
>
>
>I have just received two independent reports of a sighting of a
>DAYLIGHT fireball falling near local noon on July 16, 1997 approx.
>11:30 am CST (+6 hrs UT). These were relayed to my by Stan Shadick,
>Dept fo Physics, U of S. From a very rough initial triangulation
>(usually wrong), the impact point would appear to be the SK/AB border
>near Leader, SK (150 km N of Cypress Hills). The fireball should
>have been visible throughout SK, AB, ND, MO as the weather was clear
>and sunny! Daylight fireballs are interesting as they MUST be very
>energetic! If anyone can confirm a satellite detection, I'd
>appreciate it.
>
>I am following up the reports, but am being delayed due to a weekend
>trip to Edmonton. I've only been able to get Barry Halliday for an
>extended interview. All reports and contacts are welcome. Please
>remember the important factors: beginning alt/PA, ending alt/PA,
>duration of flight, time observed, location of observer, any sound or
>other effects. I hope to advertise this on CBC SK radio Monday AM.
>
>Report#1
>********
>Shadick received a phone call this morning from Ron Schmidt
>(389-4712) from Maymont, SK. He said that while standing on a farm
>southwest of Ruddell, SK (11-43-13 W3??) 107deg 55'W, 52deg 35'N, he
>observed an extremely bright fireball falling straight down in the
>SSW direction. It disappeared beyond the horizon in a few seconds. He
>saw no sideways motion. The event happened about 11:45 am on Wed.
>July 16. The sky was clear and sunny.
>
>Report #2
>*********
>Shadick received a phone call from Barry Halliday (867-1861 home,
>867-5294 work, Box 1383, Outlook, SK, S0L 2N0) who reported seeing
>the fireball about 11:15 am Wednesday July 16. He suspected it
>lasted about 3 seconds. He was at NW 19-25-7 W3, 106deg59'W,
>51deg15'N, near Birsay,SK. He was driving due west and noticed it
>fall almost straight down in an azimuth direction about 10 - 15
>degrees south of west. He observed a slight left-to right motion
>perhaps 5 degrees. There was no observed break-up near the horizon.
>
>Huziak subsequently interviewed me Halliday by telephone with the
>following additions:
>
>He was driving on a grid road travelling due W, and thus had an
>absolute reference. The fireball appeared at the top of the
>windshield, so he didn't see the beginning. The azimuth at this
>point was 255deg. The fireball was a steady, brilliant welder's arc
>white/blue with no tail or smoke, "like a 100W light bulb". When the
>fireball disappeared below the horizon, azimuth was 260deg. The
>fireball travelled approx vertically, at about an 80 deg angle, from
>the left. There were no cast shadows. The observer is reliable and
>readily offered all angular measurements without prompting. He
>revised the time to be between 11:15 and 11:30am. The sky was clear.
>
>----------------------
>Richard Huziak, President, Saskatoon RASC
>MIAC Associate Member
>huziak@sedsystemsdot ca