----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 1:53
AM
Subject: (meteorobs) Boulder-Size Meteor
Almost Struck Australia?
Hi all
i thought you might like to see the report as written in the
local South Australian paper here
.....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'The
Advertiser' Saturday 7 September 2002 (page 23)
HEADLINE
' A
Fleeting star turn, then meteor burns out '
by science reporter Andrew
Dowdell
A meteor that flashed across the early evening sky on Thursday
probably failed to hit solid ground, an astronomy expert says.
Astronomical
Society of South Australia technical information officer Tony Beresford said
the meteor burned up in the sky west of Victor Harbor.
"I doubt whether
anything from the meteor would have survived to Earth," he said.
"It is
possible some small pieces and dust made it into the gulf but certainly
nothing would have landed on the ground."
Dozens of people from across
the state reported seeing the meteor shortly before 6pm.
Victor Harbour
residents saw the meteor disintegrate seconds before a sonic boom rang out,
frightening animals and making buildings shudder.
Victor Harbour Council
inspector Tim Read said the meteor was "the talk of the town"
yesterday.
"It was a bit of excitement and everyone has been talking about
it," he said.
Mr Read was watching television when he heard the sonic
boom.
"It sounded like someone was jumping up and down on a tin roof. My
dog went berserk and i ran outside thinking someone was trying to break into
my house."
Encounter Bay resident Iris Shaw was walking her dog when
the object passed over.
"I heard a sizzling sound overhead and looked up to
see a silvery stream going over," Mrs Shaw said.
" I saw it explode but
there was no noise until a few seconds later."
Mrs Shaw said a neighbour's
television set flickered as the meteor passed .
Witnesses also spotted
the meteor from Adelaide . Alan Grace saw it while walking at Stirling East. "
I saw a flash of light then the meteor exploded in the air and i stood there
in absolute awe,' he said.
SA Musuem spokesman Ben McHenry said he
received a call from a man who saw the meteor from Balhannah in the Adelaide
hills." (the man) said it looked like it was 300m - 400m up in the sky and was
angling down," Mr McHenry said.
But Mr Beresford said there was "no way"
the meteor would have passed so close to Earth.
"It may have penetrated as
low as 30km but definitely not 300m, that's a perceptual illusion."
The
meteor was estimated to have been travelling between 25km and 70km per
second.
(+ summary for cgi pic from same article)
*Meteor
sighted at Bordertown in states South East shortly before 6 pm (local time)
08:30 UT
{ Bordertown is about 200 km
SE of Victor Harbour as the crow flies }
*Residents of Strathalbyn sight
meteor heading west towards Victor Harbour.
*Victor Harbour and Encounter
Bay residents see meteor disintegrate, followed by a loud
explosion.
*Meteor disappears off coast into waters of Gulf St
Vincent.
*Strathalbyn residents report seeing vapour trail in sky until
about 6:40 pm local
time
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Wish
id seen and/or heard this one !!! :((
regards
Kearn
Jones
southern-x.org
__________________________
Hello Kearn Jones et al:
It sounds very much like a big report about a
meteor, to tell you the thruth. Otherwise, I would like to say something: we
all know that the report was clear and detailed concerning to the phenomen by
itself. But, it is necessary to add that, for example: the
noise, the effects that animals show, the sky trail, the vapour,and the
noise as well, is not a complete evidence. It is necessary more technical
data to anylise all aspects.
Although, I would like to add that, for example,
a JET, breaking Mach 1 or 2, produces the say NOISE and
VAPOUR and the ANIMALS behaviour prior then a METEOR by
itself.
Great news for a list like
this.
8 Lat South
35 long. South
Good Job, Marco Valois