[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) "Fireball in sky likely meteoroid, UWO astronomy expert believes"
Fireball in sky likely meteoroid, UWO astronomy
expert believes
London Free Press
London Ontario Canada
October 3, 2001 pgA2
Article by Peter Geigen-Miller
A bright light that flashed across the sky in the
London region might have been caused by a fairly
large meteoroid, a University of Western Ontario
astronomy professor says.
John Landstreet, whose interests include
meteorites, asteroids and comets; said the kind
of flash described by witnesses over a wide area
is typical of a rock ranging in size from a
football to a garbage can burning up in the
atmosphere.
Provincial police reported calls about the
phenomenon from the St. Thomas area, Kerwood and
Poplar Hill. Reports to the Free Press came from
the Strathroy and Mt. Bridges areas.
It was described as a blue and yellow flame
accompanied by a ground-shaking boom.
Mike Suto, a Straffordville resident, said he was
sitting on his front porch when a fireball soared
northwest through the sky about 7:40 p.m.
(Tuesday Oct.2)
"It had a tail to it and white smoke," Suto said.
"It appeared to burn up and it looked like things
were dropping off."
Suto said he heard no noise but other witnesses
did.
Landstreet said this kind of space rock would
come screaming into the atmosphere at 20 to 30
kilometers a second - fast enough to travel from
London to Toronto in 10 seconds.
"It slams into the atmosphere very hard. There's
an awful lot of energy dissipated and the thing
gets really hot....and boils off its material.
It's typically really bright for a few seconds."
Landstreet would be interested in recovering
pieces of the object if they are found.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month.
http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1
To stop getting email from the 'meteorobs' list, use the Web form at:
http://www.meteorobs.org/subscribe.html
References: