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Fwd Re: (meteorobs) Fireball with sonic boom over Western Australia
[From 'meteorobs' reader Bruce McCurdy in Australia. -Lew]
-----Original Message-----
From: "Bruce McCurdy" <bmccurdy@telusplanetdot net>
To: <meteorobs@atmob.org>
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Fireball with sonic boom over Western Australia
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 15:11:58 -0600
Thanks, Kearn. The link was long and the story short, so here it is for
those who, like me, may have trouble making the link. From the (Sidney?)
Advertiser.
regards, Bruce
*******
Meteor over WA creates sonic boom
By Selina Day
07oct03
A SPECTACULAR meteor streaked across the skies of south-west Western
Australia overnight, creating a sonic boom as it broke the sound barrier and
startling many country residents.
The meteor vaporised near the Wheatbelt town of Dowerin, 157km north-east of
Perth, about midnight (WST).
It was seen by scores of people between Perth and Bunbury in the south to
Geraldton in the north and Dowerin in the east.
Perth Observatory astronomer Peter Birch said the meteor was brighter than a
full moon as it broke the sound barrier and woke Dowerin residents.
It is rare for a meteor to create a sonic boom. One was heard over southern
WA on May 1, 1995, and there had been one between then and last night, Mr
Birch said.
He said it was probably one of the most spectacular recent meteor events and
more than 50 people had called the observatory to report it.
The random meteor had travelled from west to east, rather than the
more-usual east-west trajectory.
"It was probably about 40km above the earth's surface," Mr Birch said.
"More people heard it than saw it, but there were quite a few people who saw
it, including truckies, so I have no doubt about what it was.
"It's just a meteor that has vaporised in the atmosphere."
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