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

(meteorobs) Fwd: Fragmenting Dutch/Belgian fireball 31/07/1999


------- Forwarded Message

Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 21:40:23 +0200 (CEST)
From: Marco Langbroek <marcolan@stad.dsldot nl>
To: dedalus@latrade.com
Subject: Fragmenting Dutch/Belgian fireball 31/07/1999 

Hello Lew,

For some reason, this message was returned undelivered by Meteorobs. Can 
you perhaps post it for me? Thanks!

- Marco

---------- Doorgestuurd bericht ----------
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 21:31:25 +0200 (CEST)
From: Marco Langbroek <marcolan@stad.dsldot nl>
To: NAMN Meteorobs <meteorobs@latrade.com>, dms-mail <dms-mail@onelist.com>,
    er.van.tilburg@consunetdot nl, Eddy Echternach <zenit@astro.rugdot nl>,
    Peter Jenniskens <peter@max.arc.nasadot gov>, spurny@sunkl.asudot cas.cz
Subject: Fragmenting Dutch/Belgian fireball 31/07/1999

Hello everybody,

Numerous reports are trickling in about a beatifull slow fragmenting 
fireball in the early evening twilight of July 31. Several reports from 
Dutch casual observers have been received by the Dutch Meteor Society and in 
addition several sightings are reported via the Belgian VVS newsgroup.

Observers invariably report a very slow moving, fragmenting object, about 
4-6 seconds duration, orange to red in color. Brightness given as in the 
order of -6 to -8. Several observers describe the object as 'like a piece 
of fireworks, quite unlike a meteor'. The general descriptions concern an 
object coming from high in the northern sky traveling towards the 
south-southeast. This is thus a sporadic meteor, not a member of the summer 
southern hemisphere zodiacal streams. Time of appearance is given as near 
20:58 UT by several reports, Jan van Gastel reports an accurate 20:57:40 
UT. This is in early evening twilight.

A VERY ROUGH trajectory based on two observers who give sky coordinates 
of start and end point indicates a trajectory of 100+ km length. The 
object came approximately from azimuth 325 degrees (N-NW, travelling 
towards S-SE) appearing first over the Dutch part of the North Sea some 
40 km outside the Dutch Coast (about 52d 30' N, 4d 00' E), roughly ~60 km 
N-NW from Amsterdam. Note that the true starting point might be located 
further out on sea (and more to the N) and the true trajectory lenght 
might be larger given that at least one of the two observers (Eric van 
Tilburg at Zaandam, 55 km due west of the derived starting point) thinks 
he missed the early part of the appearation. The object ended over land 
(about 51d 40' N, 4d 55' E) over the province of Northern Brabant, about
40 km SE of Rotterdam harbour.

Although fragmentation has been reported, I think a meteorite dropping is 
unlikely given the brightness of the object. Still, all reporting people 
are rather excited; this must have been a very spectacular appearance 
according to their enthousiatic descriptions.

- Marco Langbroek
  Dutch Meteor Society (DMS), the Netherlands


[report sources are several Dutch reports submitted to the DMS as well as 
Belgian observations reported on the Belgian VVS newsgroup]

------- End of Forwarded Message

To UNSUBSCRIBE from the 'meteorobs' email list, use the Web form at:
http://www.tiacdot net/users/lewkaren/meteorobs/subscribe.html