Paper: The Chronicle-telegramCity: Elyria, Oh Date: October 10, 1992 Page: 1 Spectacular meteor fall is visible in 9 states By Linda Kramer C-T Night Metro Editor The homecoming king and queen at Midview High School got a spectacular send off Friday night - a fast-moving, brilliant light display, courtesy of a bluish-green meteor shower high over the football stadium. Chronicle-Telegram photographer Tom Dangerfield and many others at the game thought the sudden burst of light as the meteor entered the atmosphere might have been an airplace crash. So did thousands of other residents of northeast Ohio who flooded news rooms and police stations throughtout the area with phone calls. "There was an extremely long tail and we could see pieces falling off as it broke up," said Dangerfield. "you could see it burning, breaking apart. Then there was kind of a pop at the end when it blew up in a big ball of flames." The Lorain County Sheriff's office reported receiving 100-150 calls from residents claiming to have seen everything from "funny lights" to a "UFO in my backyard." According to Robert Fischietto of the operations center at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, the bright lights were a huger meteor moving from the south over the northeast United States. Fischietto said the shower was tracked by air traffic controllers and was probably highly visible because of the clear skies Friday night. Astronomers said the display was visible in nine states. Fischietto said the meteor burned up in Forth of July-like fashion in the upper atmosphere. "It cooked for a good 15 seconds," said eye-witness Sgt. Christopher Sams, a Lorain County deputy sheriff. Sams said he was east of Oberlin at the intersection of Butternut Ridge and Ridge Roads around 8 p.m. when he spotted the exploding lights. "It started off as blue and green and burst into a rainbow of colors as it blew up. It's the largest meteor I've ever seen." he said. Sams, who has seen three other meteors, said that because of the high altitude he estimated the meteor flamed out somewhere over the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and was in no danger of harming earth-bound observers. Dangerfield said the space traveler made its appearance just prior to kick-off at the Midview-Sandusky football game. Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite articles. |
