[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: (meteorobs) Are meteors audible?



Pierre Martin wrote:

> This topic about audible meteors has always facsinated me after seeing
> one myself at young age. I cant recall the exact date, but it was an
> early
> July '85 evening. I was just sitting in a chair counting satellites when
> just before going back inside, saw this monstrous thick fireball streak
> for a couple seconds. It was close to the brightness of the moon and left
> a persistent train. Almost instantly, I heard a deep, clear "whooshhh",
> just like the sound of the flame burning from a hot air balloon passing
> low on top of you. I immediately related this "combustion" sound with the
> meteor. There was nobody, nothing else outside, around me so I was
> convinced. Years later, after gaining more knowledge about meteors, I
> realized a big problem with my observation. The sound I heard would have
> normaly taken many seconds or minutes to reach me after the sighting.
> This left me puzzled. Later, after reading about "electrophonic" meteors
> in an article, I realized something else: my backyard at the time had
> poles and electrical wires passing very close above me.
>
> Did I witness a potential "phonic" meteor or were my senses and
> imagination simply playing tricks on me ? Did anyone else think
> they saw and "heard" a meteor simultaneously ?
>
> Pierre Martin
> Ottawa, Ontario, CAN
> Meteor observing and Graphic design

  Pierre:
Your post reminded me of an event I witnessed some 45 or so years ago.  A bright
green fireball-like object passed north to southeast low in the sky?? over
Pleasantville NJ around dusk on a summer eve.  There was a very audible whooosh
associated with the event.  Your comparison with propane burner on hot air
balloon is very apt.  I've heard enough balloon burners to realize that is
almost exactly the sound I remember.  At the time I mentally filed the strange
event away as a "UFO", but have come to realize it must have been a meteor that
probably landed in the ocean off Atlantic City NJ.

At time of sighting I was standing under electric and phone wires but the sound
seemed to follow the object.  I recall (as well as recall works after 45 years)
no sense of the sound being related to the wiring.  It was a quite memorable
sighting and I've been pondering it quite a bit lately...wondering where that
meteorite might have landed.

Fred Mason
Atlantic Community College
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
capnjeep@worldnet.attdot net
References: