Subject: [OAOG] Fw: Astronomers Ecstatic Over Space Visitor
(fwd)
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Source:
The Calgary Herald > http://wwwdot canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=229bcf98-ae28 -497c-a1c1-0d838c277148 >
March 23, 2004 > > Fireball streaks across Prairies >
Astronomers ecstatic over space visitor > > Barb Pacholik and Sherri
Zickefoose > CanWest News Service and Calgary
Herald > > > A Calgary amateur astronomer's nightly routine of
taping the > city skyline paid off by capturing a glimpse of a
spectacular > fireball that blazed across Prairie skies. > >
"So far, I'm the only one I know who's got it," said Don > Hladiuk, a
geologist and member of the Royal Astronomy Society > of
Canada. > > "So far, I'm the only one I know who's got it," said
Don > Hladiuk, a geologist and member of the Royal Astronomy
Society > of Canada. > > Hladiuk mans the University of
Calgary's automatic sky search > camera, and the fish-eye lens caught the
streak of light and two > bright flashes at 7:33 p.m., Sunday night,
according to the > camera's timer. > > "It's really exciting.
In the end, you hope to discover new > rocks." > > The
fireball that lit up the night sky over Alberta, > Saskatchewan and
Manitoba has stoked excitement among > astronomers musing about the rare
possibility of a significant > meteorite discovery. > >
Determining the exact path of the fireball, which University of > Calgary
geologist Alan Hildebrand estimates to have been the > size of a kitchen
sink while sailing over the city, is proving > to be a
challenge. > > "We wish it was 10 tonnes instead of 100 kilograms,"
said > Hildebrand, who is the co-ordinator of the Canadian
Fireball > Reporting Centre. > > Although the sky was cloudy
on Sunday night, the burst of light > was visible to Calgarian Rachel
Crook as she headed north on > Crowchild Trail. > > "There was
a great, huge bright-orange flash to the east," she >
said. > > "It was amazing." > > "It totally took me by
surprise. My first thought was something > exploded. I was looking for
smoke, like it was a helicopter." > > On Monday, Martin Beech, a
Regina astronomer who sits on a > national meteorite committee, was busy
sifting through reported > sightings. > > "It's potentially
very exciting," said Beech, who teaches at the > University of Regina's
Campion College. > > "Without a doubt, a very bright fireball was
seen," he said, > adding all signs are pointing to a meteor -- burning
fragments > of asteroids from the region between Mars and
Jupiter. > > Because it was so widely visible and some witnesses
heard a > sonic boom or smelled sulphur, the possibility of a meteorite
-- > when pieces of a meteor actually reach Earth -- are
increased, > he added. > > "There's a very good chance
meteorites did come to ground from > what I've heard so
far." > > If a meteorite hit Saskatchewan and could be located, it
would > be the first "meteorite fall" -- a fireball sighting
combined > with finding material on the ground -- that's been recorded
in > the province, said Beech, a member of the Meteorites and
Impacts > Advisory Committee to the Canadian Space Agency. > >
The fireball was not a satellite, part of a rocket or other > manmade
space debris, confirmed Capt. Dave Muralt of 17 Wing at > CFB Moose Jaw,
Sask. He checked Monday with Norad in Colorado, > which tracks orbiting
material returning to Earth. > > Chris Rutkowski, an unidentified
flying object expert in > Winnipeg, said "a good chunk of Canada saw this
thing." > > He said there were reports Sunday of sightings from
Edmonton to > Ottawa and into North Dakota. > > Because so
many people saw the fireball, chances are it was very > high up, said
Rutkowski, who was speaking on behalf of Ufology > Research of
Manitoba. > > Despite the dramatic display, the show lasted only
about four > seconds. But Ronalda and Ben Kleinsasser, who live on a
farm > near Kerrobert, Sask., won't forget what they saw. > >
"I was watching TV when I saw this ball of fire dropping out of > the sky
with a tail of flames," said Ben Kleinsasser. "I watched > it coming down
until there it was, right in front of us. > > "My hair went up on
end and I had goose bumps. It was wild. And > it rumbled the floor pretty
good because my daughter came > running upstairs asking if someone fell in
the house." > > Family members scoured the area for any sign of
impact or > damage. > > "I figured for sure it hit one of our
barns or bins. That's how > close it seemed." > > If anyone
along the meteor's path finds an odd rock, there are > tell-tale
characteristics to look for, such as a shiny jet-black > surface and
magnetic properties, Beech said. > > QUICK FACTS: > >
Here is some information about meteors: > > - What are they: Bits of
comet debris. Scientists think comets > formed some 4.6 billion years ago
when the sun condensed out of > a cloud of hydrogen, helium and some dust
and the solar system > was born. > > - Meteor: When the
meteoroid, or comet debris, enters the > Earth's atmosphere, the light
phenomenon is called a meteor. > > - Meteorite: A meteoroid that
survives passage through the > atmosphere and hits the
ground. > > - Speedball:Just before they enter the Earth's
atmosphere, > meteoroids travel at 71 km/second, or some 2,663 times as
fast > as a fast pitch in baseball, or the same as going around
the > Earth in 3.8 minutes. > > - Light show: The colour of a
meteor is an indication of its > composition and the excitation
temperature: sodium atoms give an > orange-yellow light, iron atoms a
yellow light, magnesium a > blue-green light, calcium atoms may add a
violet hue, while > silicon atoms and molecules of atmospheric nitrogen
give a red > light. > > - How old: If parts of a meteorite are
found, its age can be > determined by testing its level of
radioactivity. > >