Re: [meteorite-list] Science Journal: Earth's water didn't come from comets, scientists now say
hi, Larry... I have not read the original article, but I assume that when they present measurements from asteroids, this is really measurements from meteorites which came from asteroids. yes. the figure in question cites about a half dozen sources; the asteroid data appear to come from http://www.sciencemag.org/content/337/6095/721.abstract. one of the citations is this really excellent overview of the whole asteroid-comet water debate: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1403.7143v1 clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Science Journal: Earth's water didn't come from comets, scientists now say
hi, Michael... I am curious how such a definitive conclusion can be reached from the analysis of a singular cometary body? several others have chimed in, but let me try to add something new: it's not just this one object, really. to date we have D:H ratios for about a dozen comets, including one (Halley) measured in situ. prior to this result, *all* of the comets derived from the Oort Cloud had D:H ratios that are much too high to be compatible with Earth - and yet the two Jupiter-Family Comets that had been measured (by ESA's Herschel space telescope) showed D:H ratios *very* close to Earth's. there was hope. but 67P is also a JFC, and its D:H ratio is the highest yet measured. statistically, based on that alone, it's very unlikely that only JFCs with the terrestrial D:H ratio would have struck Earth. it also implied that the Kuiper Belt (source of the JFCs) must comprise objects from a mix of sources. a plot of all the D:H ratios determined to date is in the Science paper, and that plot appears in Sky Telescope's write-up of this result: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/rosetta-earths-water-not-from-com ets-120920141/ clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Small Asteroid 2014 AA Hits Earth
hi, all... http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/home/Small-Asteroid-2014-AA-Hits-Earth-2384 81431.html Small Asteroid 2014 AA Hits Earth Kelly Beatty Sky Telescope January 2, 2014 just a quick note of correction: the seven CSS images were taken over a span of 69 minutes, not 3! (thanks to Dave Tholen for pointing this out to me.) clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Florida Boy Allegedly Hit By Meteorite - Any new News?
hi, Shawn... Read what you had said about the boy getting hit in the head by a meteorite and I was wondering, has there been any more test done apparently someone with a little experience has been called in to check things out. more later. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Florida Boy Allegedly Hit By Meteorite
hi, Ron... just FYI, I have had a couple of email exchanges with the researchers at Florida Atlantic University who examined the fragments; it's actually the guy who runs the school's observatory. all he concluded was that the fragments were slightly magnetic. I've seen no indication that the family is having the fragments tested further (though I haven't tried to contact them). further, the FAU guy estimates that the fragments total about 1 gram. with the total mass was so low, there's no way those fragments - even intact - could have caused such a gash. one thing that I took away from the KPEC video was that the boy suffered a (linear) cut, with no surrounding bruising. inconsistent with being conked by a single small rock. also, the presumption is that the rock fragmented when it hit his skull - but there are no signs of fresh rock surfaces. according to my FAU source, they weren't simply bits of rusted iron. some appear to have small bright nonmetallic inclusions in a dark, reddish interior. *maybe* there's a larger fragment lying around somewhere in the yard. but I doubt it. more likely little Stevie bonked his head on something and didn't 'fess up to Dad. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Cosmic Child Abuse?
hi... Evidently this kid in Florida has been struck by a meteorite. original 3-minute WPEC-TV report is here: http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_11507.shtml color me skeptical. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Chelyabinsk at White House today
Chris... It's extremely doubtful that this body could have done all that much more damage. It simply wasn't big enough, or strong enough. I spoke at some length about this with Mark Boslough, a Sandia Labs expect in airborne shock waves (read: bombs). he's the one who modeled Tunguska a few years ago: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/12662606.html what Mike Farmer says agrees with Boslough's assessment: had the impactor come in more vertically, its terminal burst would have been lower, and its shock wave (and fireball) would have been focused on the ground directly below, creating substantially more damage. details: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/Update-on-the-Russian-Mega-Meteor-195553631 .html clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] any genuine Cherbakul stones out there?
howdy... today I posted an update on the science that's emerged from last month's Chelyabinsk/Cherbakul fall (http://is.gd/k4WCg1). I'd like to add a paragraph about the emerging market for these stones. can anyone point me to past/present offers on eBay or elsewhere that you believe to be genuine - or have you purchased/acquired one of these stones yourself? please contact off-list - thanks! clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Sterlitamak
Sterling, Paul... I wrote about this fall in the August 1992 issue of Sky Telescope and included a picture of the crater. apparently hit as a single mass (no strewnfield), despite witness reports of multiple explosions. it fell in a freshly planted wheat field and splashed bright-toned ejecta 10-15 m outward (judging from the photo). by the time a team from the Russian Academy of Sciences arrived six days later, the locals had done quite a bit of prospecting on their own. about two dozen fragments were found scattered around the crater. overall it's very reminiscent of the Carancas fall. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] the last iron meteorite fall
Steve... Sterlitamak, Russia May 17, 1990 IIIAB iron http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992Metic..27R.276P clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] anyone still in Coloma area?
folks... as it turns out, I'll be passing through Coloma tomorrow (Sunday) en route to my carefully picked viewing location (TBD, but a winery of some sort!) for the annular eclipse. are any of you still hunting for fragments in the area? clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] need meteorite speaker in Boston on Aug. 25th
folks... one of the hats I wear is as a member for the American Meteorological Society's Station Scientist committee. (if you think about it, in any given TV station the only person well versed in any kind of science it is the meteorologist, so these folks are often tasked with covering science news stories.) this year the AMS's Broadcast Meteorologists are meeting in Boston, and I've convinced the organizers to have a Short Course (for which attendees earn credit) on newsworthy topics in astronomy. it will be Saturday, August 25th, 6-8 pm at the Clay Center in Brookline, MA. there'll be about 50-100 attendees. info: claycenter.org I need someone to present a 30-minute talk on meteorites - basically what they are, different main types, how to identify them, common meteorwrongs, etc. are any of you interested? you'll need to (1) be a great public speaker, (2) be able to send me an abstract right away, and (3) importantly, be willing to pay your own way to come to Boston (sorry, no travel funds available). the upside is that you'll be presented as the kind of meteorite expert that news stations across the country will call for commentary, etc. - and I know you're all very shy around cameras. ;-) if interested, please contact me ASAP off list. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] LPSC 43 - Any big news or unexpected meteoritestories?
Mike... Is there anything new about Tissint, or any other meteorite that has emerged at this year's conference? there was an oral session on New Martian Meteorites, and the lead paper described Tissint (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2012/pdf/2510.pdf). but that's it re: Tissint. elsewhere, I chased down a couple of papers alluding to specific comets capable of dropping meteorites, but the modeling is (IMHO) incomplete. so you'll just have to settle for LPSC results having to do with planets! ;-) http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/March-Madness-on-Mercury-143756146.html clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Sky Tel. article: Mercury's Marvels
hi, Bernd... It's these words metal-rich meteorites called CV chondrites that may lead to misunderstandings (especially among readers who are not overly familiar with meteorites. you're right - a better choice of words would have been iron-rich meteorites called CV chondrites. thanks for reading the article, BTW. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] wanted: lunar for short-term loan (!)
hi, folks... I'm working with other teachers at my school to prepare a big astro event for our kindergarten students. we'll have two sessions, on Jan 18 and 25. as part of this, I'm hoping to pass around a small lunar meteorite. (we have a piece of Nakhla.) if any of you would be willing to lend me a lunar for about a week, please contact me off list using - kbea...@dexter.org thanks! clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Falling Satellite ROSAT Hurtling Toward Earth
Jim and list... the everyday media have overlooked an important aspect of the Rosat-reentry story, namely, that the entire telescope assembly (1.6 metric tons of carbon fiber and Zerodur ceramic glass) is predicted to land intact. think Mini Cooper falling from the sky and you get the general idea. it took a lot of digging and coaxing with German and ESA officials, but they've confirmed this reality to me, as related here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/132109883.html of course, it remains the case that the chance of it striking a populated area is very, very, very small. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] NASA Dept. of Defense
Kirk... In fact, NASA already IS part of the Dept. of Defense. With a quick check of NASA's charter, it clearly defines that NASA operates officially under Dept. of Defense jurisdiction. uh, no. NASA was expressly set up to be a civilian agency. the NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ACT OF 1958 (as amended) is here: http://history.nasa.gov/spaceact-legishistory.pdf it says, in part: ...such activities shall be the responsibility of, and shall be directed by, a civilian agency exercising control over aeronautical and space activities sponsored by the United States, except that activities peculiar to or primarily associated with the development of weapons systems, military operations, or the defense of the United States (including the research and development necessary to make effective provision for the defense of the United States) shall be the responsibility of, and shall be directed by, the Department of Defense; and that determination as to which such agency has responsibility for and direction of any such activity shall be made by the President... initially there was a National Space Council, chaired by the Vice President, on which the Secretary of Defense was a member; and initially there was a Civilian-Military Liaison Committee. both have since been abolished. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Why Mars Is a Planetary Runt
Paul... thanks for that posting and the links. Walsh et al's scenario is both tantalizing and provocative - it's amazing to think how the solar system's architecture might have been shaped top to bottom by big-bully Jupiter. (FWIW, I wrote all this up for ST last October: http://is.gd/CDdez4) but it's not the only explanation being kicked around by planetary scientists for a runty Red Planet: http://is.gd/qbtGAI clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] MRO HiRISE Images - December 8, 2010
Mike... I wanted to ask if you know if there was anything in the way of good news on the fate of the Akatsuki spacecraft? the news is not good: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/home/111446784.html clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] NASA Can't Explain Strange Spiral
Eric... Scientists are baffled by a strange spiral phenomenon. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1774.html Are we looking at the birth of a star? Is that dust? Gas? Both? Any scientists out there have any opinions? NASA's caption is misleading. scientists actually have a very good idea of what's going on. it's matter ejected from a dying star. to get the rest of the story, as the late Paul Harvey used to say, click on: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/102593154.html clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Double Meteorite Strike Caused Dinosaur Extinction?
Ron and list... Double meteorite strike 'caused dinosaur extinction' By Howard Falcon-Lang BBC News August 27, 2010 The dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago by at least two meteorite impacts, rather than a single strike, a new study suggests. with all due respect to my British science-writing colleagues, this is a misleading and not very good write-up. Boltysh has been recognized as an impact since at least the 1970s, and its age has been pegged at 65.2 +/- 0.64 MY since 2002 (Chicxulub is 65.5 MY). the whole double-whammy debate played out almost a decade ago, because the craters' respective age uncertainties left the impact order unclear. in any case, Earth gets a new 20-km crater every million years or so, and while damage from Boltysh would have been significant regionally it wouldn't have had long-lasting global consequences, if at all. in fact, the real news is that ferns and flowering plants took hold in the sediments on the floor of Boltysh *quickly* - 2000 to 5000 years after the impact (based in part on comparable recoveries from volcanic events) - before being snuffed out during the K-Pg extinction. there's no hint in the actual research paper whatsoever that Boltysh somehow contributed to the K-Pg extinction. rather, the discussion focuses on where these two impactors might have originated. it wasn't a binary asteroid (not simultaneous) nor was it likely two random but closely spaced asteroid strikes (0.01% chance). I hesitate to suggest where you might go for more details, but you can probably guess. ;-) clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Zodiacal glow revisited
Bernd... In mid-April we discussed the source of the zodiacal glow. I just wanted to let you know that there is an imformative article in the News Notes section of the June 2010, Sky Telescope issue, p. 16. you didn't have to wait for the June issue to come out - I posted an online version of that News Note two months ago: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/87336457.html clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Venus Catastrophic ResurfacingHypothesisChallenged
Sterling and all... A decade or so was wasted on geological mechanisms that could re-surface without outside interference. They were largely hooey that convinced no one, posing improbable mechanisms to accomplish world-wide simultaneous subduction. *way* too sweeping a generalization. it's true that there's no consensus on what triggered the resurfacing of Venus, but the discussion mostly surrounds whether it's periodic (i.e. it'll happen again) or was a one-time event that fundamentally altered the planet's internal heat flow. regardless, large-scale cratering only 600 million years ago would leave an unmistakable gravity signature - and there ain't none. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com list __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Strewnfield or Strewn Field?
Jeff... If I were editing a publication, I would probably make the stylistic choice of adopting the single-word version, strewnfield. I'm with you. strewnfield can mean only one thing, and if I ever came across strewn field in text I would wonder what (besides meteorites) was strewn on that particular field - cow patties, perhaps? FWIW, here's an example from my 35 years of watching the English language evolve in popular writing and publications. years ago Sky Telescope, which maintains a long list of style conventions, referred to a site on the World Wide Web as a Web site. then it became Website and finally website. that's how many such terms evolve. and, yes, ST uses strewnfield. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com eorite-list __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Utah Meteor....
Dennis and list... Does anyone on the list know Christopher Cokinos well enough to call him and ask what information he may have. I know Chris from dealings with him at Sky Telescope. seems like a good guy who likes backyard observing. I'd try contacting him directly. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Largest 'Fall' Meteorite
Jason et al... Only two meteorites are ever known to have created real craters upon falling; Carancas and Sikhote-Alin. there's also Sterlitamak, a 1990 fall in Russia that left a 10-m crater: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992Metic..27R.276P clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Blast in Bone a result of falling meteorite:Experts
Greg... Anyone hear about this? please see: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/home/65960457.html Djamaluddin is simply regurgitating what NASA's NEO office posted a few days ago: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news165.html#report ... which in turn was issued October 19th by Elizabeth Silber and Peter Brown... with whom I've been working on this event since October 11th. there might be DoD sat data on this event. stay tuned. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Must-see Martian in 3-D
folks... An incredible view of a Martian iron in fine detail! (note the full resolution link) http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/images/mer20090806.html neat photo! can someone please provide an estimate of its mass? the caption says it's 2/3 meter (2 feet) wide. eyeballing it, I get something in excess of 300 kg. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Image of PA/MD bolide passing near M31
folks... Rob Matson wrote: The object track at the top of the image passes very close to the 9.3-magnitude Hipparcos star #003223, which was at azimuth 57.0, elevation +27.5 at 1:06 am. Rob is right! the time-of-day reported by the charting program I used is wrong. the altitude of the streaks is indeed about 27 deg. I haven't checked carefully yet, but that means the trajectory as seen from Freeland, MD, from was more toward NE than ENE (Rob: how did you deduce the reverse of that, NE to SW? seems inconsistent with the York video.) BTW, I'm a he. ;-) clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Astro Mikes meteor streak Photo
Dean and list... when I first saw Mike's image, my first impression was, hmm, must have been after fragmentation, because look at all those pieces! too many to be plane lights, IMHO. also, as I've plotted the photo against a star chart to determine scale, etc, I can tell you that the orientation of the streak set is entirely consistent with the generally west-to-east track derived from the York video. moreover, the set of streaks is only 0.06 degree wide. that's a small angle! geometrically correcting for the photo's azimuth of 62 degrees, if those streaks are lights on a plane at 40,000 feet they'd span only 48 feet. to be on the wingtips of even a midsize airliner (~100 feet), it'd have to have been impossibly higher up. the other thing that caught my attention (besides the vignetting) was the general glow around the set of trails. this halo is consistent with optical scatter from a very bright source (perhaps on slightly dew-covered optics; remember, it was 1 a.m.) and *not* consistent with the relatively dim lights from an airplane. Rich K: you'll have to cut Mike a little slack. he is just starting out in astronomy (last January, in fact). I don't know about you, but my astrophotos weren't nearly this good after having been in the hobby for just 6 months. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Astro Mikes meteor streak Photo
geometrically correcting for the photo's azimuth of 62 degrees... sorry, that should be altitude, not azimuth clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Astro Mikes meteor streak Photo
folks... one more thing: I have a copy of Mike's original photo. please go to http://twitpic.com/a2r6y , where I've posted a portion of it. copy it, enlarge it, and examine the two phenomena marked with arrows. there are two very faint streaks well to the lower right of the main set, and there is a streak just to the upper left of the main set that is not moving parallel to the others. how does a plane make streaks like that?? these unusual streaks -- combined with the facts that the photo was taken at the correct time, in the correct portion of the sky, and with the correct motion vector -- make a pretty convincing case for this being a fragmented fireball. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Seismic Data search for 6JUL09 meteor
folks... my take: this putative fall is unlikely to generate a seismic signal if pieces hit the ground at terminal free-fall velocity (several hundred mph for really large chunks, much less for smaller ones). meanwhile, I've analyzed Mike Hankey's photo. assuming the bolide was 1:10 am local time and falling from the sky, as reports indicate, then the meteor segment in the image he took was centered at AZ 73°, AL 63½°, and had a bearing toward the east-northeast horizon. clear skies, Kelly J. Kelly Beatty Senior Contributing Editor SKY TELESCOPE 617-416-9991 SkyandTelescope.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
