[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: (meteorobs) Questions from Costa Rica [I]
Carlos, you do ask a whole lot of interesting questions! :> I'll try to
answer your friend's fireball query separately from your own questions.
At 11:37 PM 2/18/98 -0600, you wrote:
>From what I know, this thing couldn't be a meteor or bolide because:
>1. No meteor or fireball will last minutes (more than 2 minutes at
>least) crossing the atmosphere.
>2. Meteors travel much faster than the speed described by the
>questioner.
>3. The path of a meteor is not parallel to the horizon and neither it is
>so close to it as it is described in the question.
Those first two are true! But a meteor can (and often does) seem to run
parallel to your horizon, and may be seen at any altitude angle.
I can think of at least two possibilities: Mr. Mendez actually saw a
fireball and meant that its *train* (the ghostly trail left behind by
bright meteors) lasted over two minutes; this wouldn't be unusual.
OR he saw a very slow satellite re-entry. As folks have mentioned here
before, the characteristics of reentries are UNBELIEVABLY slow speed,
long-lasting trail, and often a reddish color.
Of course, a third possibility is that he actually saw a jet or missile
burn, and became confused thinking it was "too low" to be one: truth is,
there's *NO* way for an observer to estimate an object's height in the
atmosphere, unless the object is of a very well-known size, and is close
enough to show some of its extent. Nothing in the account indicates that
was the case...
OK, now for *your* questions in the next post. :)
Lew