[meteorite-list] Meteorite Picture of the Day
Today's Meteorite Picture of the Day: Unclassified NWA Contributed by: Gourgues Denis http://www.tucsonmeteorites.com/mpodmain.asp __ 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] Bright Meteor Sighted in Western Greece
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2013/11/28/meteorite-falls-in-western-greece/ Meteor Falls in Western Greece By Maria Papathanasiou Greek Reporter November 28, 2013 Many residents of Western Greece experienced a unique and incredible phenomenon at 9pm yesterday evening. Meteorologists spoke of a meteorite that was to fall in the Ionia sea. The phenomenon was particularly noticed from the residents of Zante in the regions of Maheradou and Alikon. The residents said that they saw bright streaks across the sky from West to East, followed by an intense noise. However, there were no damages or problems reported even though the testimonies supported that the glow illuminated the homes of areas in Kefalonia. Those who saw the bright object talked about a huge burning ball that was moving with tremendous speed. Many of them supported that they also heard a strange hollow noise. According to sources, it was a meteorite that fell in the Ionian Sea between Zante and Kefallonia. The Fire Service of Kefalonia reported the testimony of a resident, who described the drop of a bright object in the sea between Kefalonia and Zante. Geology Professor, Dr. Efthimios Lekkas, confirmed the phenomenon. He also pointed out that we could learn more about the meteorite after it has fallen to the ground. " Ibelieve that it was a meteorite. Reliable witnesses of Zante and Kefalonia told me that at 9pm they saw a bright object fall from the sky into the sea, followed by noise. All the testimonies that I received revealed the same thing." __ 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] Bright Lights in Sky Over Australia Remains A Mystery
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/night-display-still-a-mystery/2099578/ Bright lights in sky on Wednesday night remains a mystery Christine Mckee The Morning Bulletin (Australia) November 29, 2013 WAS it a meteor, a comet, space junk or the start of the alien invasion? After a day of speculation and conflicting suggestions, there is still no conclusive answer to what lit up the sky on Wednesday night. Reports of the spectacular vision flowed in from Moranbah to Brisbane. Thozet Rd resident, Trevor Brunskill was sitting on his veranda when a light in his peripheral vision caught his attention. "At first I thought it was the reflection from car lights," he said. "Then I thought, hang on a second I think it's a meteorite, and I called out to the missus. "It was visually spectacular. I've never seen anything like it. "It was very beautiful, and as a big boofy bloke, it takes a lot for me to say that⦠but it was beautiful." Mr Brunskill described the vision as a small, glowing ball with a very long tail. He said there were 10-12 smaller objects off the tail. "It lasted at least a minute, about the speed of a light aircraft and completely silent." Mark Rigby, curator at Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium said although he couldn't say definitively what it was, the vision was more likely to be a natural object than space junk. Based on witness reports, including Mr Brunskill's, he said it was most likely a small asteroid breaking up. "Comet Ison, definitely had nothing to do with it," he said. "And reports from Canada could not possibly have been the same object." One thing Mr Rigby was able to determine, was that central Queensland had the best view. __ 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] Asteroid 3200 Phaethon Sprouts A Tail
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/27nov_rockcomet/ Rock Comet Sprouts a Tail NASA Science News November 27, 2013 Astronomers have long been puzzled by a certain meteor shower. Every year in mid-December the sky fills with flashes of light shooting out of the constellation Gemini. The Geminids are fast, bright, and reliable. They never fail to show up and many observers count them as the finest meteors of the year. But where do they come from? That is the puzzle. Meteor showers are supposed to come from comets, yet there is no comet that matches the orbit of the Geminid debris stream. Instead, the orbit of the Geminids is occupied by a thing called "3200 Phaethon." Discovered in 1983 by NASA's IRAS satellite, Phaethon looks remarkably like a rocky asteroid. It swoops by the sun every 1.4 years, much like a comet would, but it never sprouts a dusty tail to replenish the Geminids. That is, until now. A group of astronomers led by Dave Jewitt of UCLA have been using NASA's STEREO probes to take a closer look at 3200 Phaethon when it passes by the sun. The twin spacecraft were designed to monitor solar activity, so they get a good view of sungrazing comets and asteroids. In 2010 one of the STEREO probes recorded a doubling of Phaethon's brightness as it approached the sun, as if sunlight were shining through a cloud of dust around the asteroid. The observers began to suspect 3200 Phaethon was something new: "A rock comet", says Jewitt. A rock comet is, essentially, an asteroid that comes very close to the sun--so close that solar heating scorches dusty debris right off its rocky surface. This could form a sort of gravelly tail. Indeed, in further STEREO observations from 2009 and 2012, Jewitt along with colleagues Jing Li of UCLA and Jessica Agarwal of the Max Planck Institute have spotted a small tail sticking out behind the "rock." "The tail gives incontrovertible evidence that Phaethon ejects dust," says Jewitt. Jewitt's team believes that the dust is launched by thermal fracturing of the asteroid's crust. A related process called "desiccation fracturing"--like mud cracks in a dry lake bed--may play a role too. Seeing 3200 Phaethon sprout a tail, even a small one, gives researchers confidence that Phaethon is indeed the source of the Geminids--but a mystery remains: How can such a stubby protuberance produce such a grand meteor shower? Adding up all of the light STEREO saw in Phaethon's tail, Jewitt and colleagues estimate a combined mass of some 30 thousand kilograms. That might sound like a lot of meteoroids but, in fact, it is orders of magnitude too small to sustain the massive Geminid debris stream. Perhaps Phaethon experienced a "big event" in the recent past. "The analogy I think of is a log in a campfire," says Jewitt. "The log burns, makes a few embers, but occasionally will spit out a shower of sparks." Continued monitoring by NASA's STEREO probes might one day catch the rock comet spitting out a shower of dust and debris, solving the mystery once and for all. Until then, it's a puzzle to savor under the stars. This year's Geminid meteor shower peaks on the nights of Dec. 13-14 with dozens of "rock comet meteors" every hour. Bundle up and enjoy the show. Credits: Author: Dr. Tony Phillips Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips Credit: Science@NASA __ 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] Comet ISON Leaves A Mystery Behind As It Goes Around The Sun
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/comet-ison-vanishes-puff-mystery-it-goes-around-sun-2D11670914 Comet ISON leaves a mystery behind as it goes around the sun Alan Boyle, NBC News November 28, 2013 Comet ISON - once touted as the "comet of the century" - fizzled out during its swing around the sun, leaving behind what scientists said was a trail of dust that continued rolling through space. "It does seem that Comet ISON probably hasn't survived this journey," Karl Battams, an astrophysicist at the Naval Research Laboratory, acknowledged at the end of a NASA-sponsored Google+ Hangout SaveFrom.net that attracted more than 27,000 viewers at its peak. Battams' assessment dashed the hopes of millions who were looking forward to a celestial Yuletide treat. Satellite images appeared to show ISON's remnants spreading out in an arc around the sun - a phenomenon known as a "headless tail." It's still possible that the initial reports of ISON's demise were exaggerated. "It is now clear that Comet ISON either survived or did not survive, or... maybe both," Bruce Betts, director of projects for the Planetary Society, said in a Twitter update. "Hope that clarifies things." In a follow-up tweet, Battams said he and his colleagues have observed a couple of thousand sungrazer comets, but "we've never seen one behave like ISON." Highs and lows Over the past few days, ISON's condition had sparked waves of up-and-down speculation: Was it brightening? Fading? Resurging? On Thursday morning, astronomers saw clear signs that the sungrazing comet was getting dimmer as it headed toward peak heating, at an expected minimum distance of 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) and maximum velocity of 850,000 mph (380 kilometers per second). That suggested that ISON's nucleus, estimated to have a radius of roughly a kilometer (half a mile), was rapidly shedding ice and dust to feed its multimillion-mile-long tail. Scientists hoped there would still be something left after its closest approach to the sun, known as perihelion - but nothing was detected by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. "I'd like to know what happened to our half a mile of material that was going around the sun," SDO project scientist W. Dean Pesnell of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said during Thursday's Hangout. "Now it's broken up, and I didn't see anything." It was an inglorious and inconclusive end for a "dirty snowball" that scientists say was a fossil relic of the solar system's formation 4.5 billion years ago. ISON spent much of that time on the solar system's farthest reaches, in a haze of comets known as the Oort Cloud. A passing star probably perturbed the comet's orbit enough to send it on a 5.5 million-year journey toward the sun. Russian astronomers detected Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) in September 2012, and observers sparked a worldwide buzz when they calculated that the comet would come so close to the sun. Some hoped that it would rate as the comet of the century - perhaps shining as bright as the full moon just after it passed around the sun. As the months wore on, astronomers downplayed those expectations - but still held out hope that the sungrazer could make as big an impression as Comet Lovejoy did for Southern Hemisphere observers in 2011. In the end, however, ISON was too small to weather such a close encounter with the sun. Astronomers are still keeping at least one hope alive: that the voluminous data collected during ISON's trip will shed light on how comets fall apart. Scientists could use those insights to "run the film backward" and reveal how the earliest material surrounding the sun coalesced into comets and planets, billions of years ago. That should keep astronomers busy until the next "comet of the century" comes around. "It's been an amazing journey," Battams said. "It's been the busiest year of my career. ... We're going to learn so much more about the comet." Update for 4:10 p.m. ET Nov. 28: The comet's nucleus may have fizzled, but scientists say sun-watching satellites are still seeing the dust left over from ISON swing around in a gravitational arc as it dissipates. "Dust continues to move around the orbit, just as it should," Pesnell told NBC News. The arc is visible in imagery from NASA's STEREO and SOHO satellites. "Yes, something came out from behind the occulter," Battams said in a Twitter update. "Pretty certain there's no nucleus, though." That accounts for at least some of the half-mile-deep pile of material that scientists thought the comet contained. However, the fact that ISON's staying power didn't match astronomers' expectations suggests that something may be out of whack with their models for comet composition and dynamics. "The story isn't over yet," Pesnell said, "because now we have an even bigger mystery." __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing li
[meteorite-list] Chinese Moon Lander on the Verge of Launch
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/china/change3/131127change3/ Chinese moon lander on the verge of launch BY STEPHEN CLARK SPACEFLIGHT NOW November 27, 2013 China has scheduled the launch of an ambitious robotic lunar rover as soon as Sunday on a quest to achieve the first soft landing on the moon in more than three decades. The Chang'e 3 mission is China's third moon probe, following two successful orbiters that surveyed the lunar surface and mapped landing zones. Chinese officials say the mission is set for launch in early December, with landing on the moon scheduled for mid-December. China has not officially disclosed the mission's launch or landing dates. But an aeronautical notice issued to warn pilots of an impending launch indicates the solar-powered rover is set for liftoff Sunday shortly after 1720 GMT (12:20 p.m. EST) from the Xichang space center in southwestern China's Sichuan province. The launch will come in the middle of the night in China at approximately 1:20 a.m. Beijing time. A Long March 3B rocket will boost the probe on course toward the moon, where the spacecraft will enter orbit five days after launch before dropping to the lunar surface for landing some time in mid-December, according to Wu Zhijian, a spokesperson for China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, or SASTIND, which is managing the Chang'e 3 mission. The mission is China's first try to land a spacecraft on the moon - or any other celestial body - and it marks a new phase in the country's exploration efforts, which include a lunar sample return mission before the end of the decade. The lander reportedly weighs about 3,800 kilograms, or about 8,377 pounds, fully loaded with propellant. It's dimensions measure a bit larger than a sports utility vehicle. The Chang'e 3 lander will descend from lunar orbit and use rocket engines to settle softly on the moon's surface in a region known as the Bay of Rainbows, or Sinus Iridum, on the upper-left part of the moon as viewed from Earth. The Bay of Rainbows has never been explored by a moon lander before. The Chang'e 2 mission, China's second lunar orbiter, mapped the Bay of Rainbows in detail after its launch in October 2010. Once the four-legged lander touches down, the mission's rover will drive onto the lunar surface on a ramp. The rover has six wheels and has a mass of about 140 kilograms, or about 308 pounds, according to Xinhua. It is powered by solar energy but carries radioisotope heater units to keep the rover warm on cold lunar nights, according to a paper written by researchers at the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering and published in Science China. Chinese officials announced Tuesday the rover is named "Yutu" after a campaign to solicit naming suggestions from the public. Yutu was the most popular submission, and it means "jade rabbit" in Chinese, Xinhua reported. The Chang'e lunar program is named after the Chinese goddess of the moon, and Yutu the rabbit is her companion in Chinese mythology. __ 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] Meteor over Montreal
Hello all, This past Tuesday evening, during a snowstorm, a meteor exploded over Montreal. It rattled a few windows, made a loud boom and was seen through the clouds by an airline pilot. So far as I can tell, nothing made it to the ground. Andre http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Mystery+Tuesday+boom+solved/9224471/story.html __ 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] won't accept it is not a meteorite
> > Hi all! Happy Thanks Giving to all of our American Friends! > > As for the individual on you tube who 'Claims' to be finding meteorites in > Western Australia, my father Graham and I saw him on you tube about 2 weeks > ago. We watched his first video and it was a painful few minutes of listening > to him ramble on in his car, of what hunting we did seeit was a few > seconds of collecting earth rocks on a wet salt lake bed in Western Australia. > > > In South Australia and Western Australia, if someone finds a meteorite they > must present them to the Museum of the State where they were found. The laws > are more relaxed in other states and Territories e.g. NT where certain zones > are off limits like Henbury. > > My advice to everyone, and please pass this on to on-list members...is if you > are in Australia or international and someone offers you a meteorite found in > Western Australia and or South Australia and its not a Cook 007 or > Mundrubilla (any of the many well known common market meteorites), then > please report them to the Museum of Western Australia or South Australia > > There is no point of having a unclassified stone in our collections (unless > is a big pretty OC UNWA lol), lost forever from the knowledge of science. > > Im talking about new discoveries not well known and documented meteorites... > > Take care > > Ian Macleod > > IMCA 8013 __ 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] Meteor/Meteorite Art
List, I have created a worldwide Meteor/Meteorite Art website where persons can submit their artworks and get free exposure IF I consider their work suitable under my definition of "Meteor" art. I maintain the right to refuse submissions. Please test drive this new website. Feedback off-list is appreciated. If you want free promotion or just want YOUR own art promote send me and I will consider. "Meteor" art will include photos, paintings, jewelry designs, poems, short stories, drawings, cartoons, photo-shopped ,videos and any media considered but NO ads unless they are spoofed and unreal; nothing that harms the reputation of any real individual. Proud Tom art also fine. I would prefer previously unpublished, not yet on the Internet, works. IF you like this site please kindly bookmark the main site- http://latestmeteorart.blogspot.com/ Thank you for your time and look forward to seeing YOUR "meteor" art. Send citation and written in email permission and statement that this is YOUR personally created work/s and that you grant permission for your work to be used by me as I see fit. Thank you again! Best Regards, Dirk Ross...Tokyo Todays Post- http://latestmeteorart.blogspot.jp/2013/11/just-off-deck-meteor-crater-by-kevin.html __ 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] Tucson Gem & Mineral Show Guide on www.meteorite.com
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Jim and I will again have our Tucson Show Guide up. Like last year it will be on http://www.meteorite.com so that it's mobile friendly. It's easy to find under the "Meteorite Information" menu and includes: Tucson Show Vendors Tucson Show Vendors by Hotel Tucson Show Visitors Tucson Show Events Eating Around Tucson Submit Tucson Information Direct Link http://www.meteorite.com/tucson/ Visitor and Vendor Submit Form http://www.meteorite.com/submit-tucson-information/#FSContact3 You can submit your information at any time but we most likely won't start updating till after Christmas. Have a great day everyone (even if it's not a holiday for you)! Paul p.s. Dirk... I'm still thinking about your Turkey in a can... :-) __ 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] Meteorite Picture of the Day
Today's Meteorite Picture of the Day: NWA 7863 Contributed by: Ian MacLeod http://www.tucsonmeteorites.com/mpodmain.asp __ 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] Trove of Data from Russian 'Dash-cam' Meteorite
Trove of data from Russian 'dash-cam' meteorite by Simon Redfern, The Conversation, Phys.Org, November 27, 2013 http://phys.org/news/2013-11-trove-russian-dash-cam-meteorite.html http://theconversation.com/secrets-revealed-of-dash-cam-meteorite-that-rocked-russia-19923 Related articles: First study results of Russian Chelyabinsk meteor published Phys.Org, November 6, 2013 http://phys.org/news/2013-11-results-russian-chelyabinsk-meteor-published.html Chelyabinsk meteor explosion a 'wake-up call', scientists warn by Shireen Chan, The Conversation, November 7, 2013 http://phys.org/news/2013-11-chelyabinsk-meteor-explosion-wake-up-scientistswarn.html http://theconversation.com/chelyabinsk-meteor-explosion-a-wake-up-call-scientists-warn-19874 How Satellites Watched Russian Meteor Explosion from Space by Charles Q. Choi, SPACE.com, October 21, 2013 http://www.space.com/23273-russia-meteor-chelyabinsk-satellite-photos.html Happy Thanksgiving, Paul H. __ 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] Montreal-area Fireball Had Bad Timing
Meteorite expert says Montreal-area fireball had bad timing by Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen November 28, 2013 http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Meteorites/9220507/story.html Happy Thanksgiving, Paul H. __ 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
[meteorite-list] Ensisheim 2013 Dates
Hi List, Does anyone here know for certain the dates of Ensisheim next year? I have tried to contact Zelimir, but no luck, and was wondering if anyone else has discussed the dates with him? Ensisheim is normally the weekend before the St Marie show (another show in the same area) and for next year that states on its website 'We look forward to seeing you from the 26 to the 29 of June 2014, for the 51th International Mineral & Gem Exhibition.' So I'm assuming that Ensisheim will be the 20th to the 22nd of June 2014? I'm a bit wary of booking flights etc, without official confirmation. As an aside, I have an unofficial Facebook group for Ensisheim which proved quite useful last year, as a place to share info before the show, and photos and videos etc during and after the show. https://www.facebook.com/EnsisheimMeteoriteShow It has next years event set up on it for the dates of 20th to 22nd June (obviously provisional), so if you are planning on attending, you can 'join' that event, so people can see who is attending, and so can you! I'm sure as always, it will be another great three days, especially as it is the 15th anniversary of the show, so could well attract more people than normal. Cheers, Luther __ 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] special Tucson dates
On 11/23/13 10:12 AM, "Mike Tettenborn" wrote: > List, > > For the first time I will be going to the Gem and Mineral show in Tucson in > February. Can¹t wait. We just booked a B&B about 20 minute drive in the > desert and will be able to attend the show for a couple of days. > > Is there a list out there of important meteorite dates during the show? Mike > Blood¹s auction and the birthday bash etc.. > > After some time in Tucson we also are travelling to Portal near the New Mexico > boarder (60 miles form the nearest grocery store) for some deep sky observing > at Arizona Sky Village. > > Can¹t wait! > > Cheers, Hi Mike & all, Finally got a new computer, found all the met-list posts that Were being held up by my server, etc. The Tucson Meteorite Auction will be Sat, Feb 8. The Birthday Bash is usually the night before the auction, but you will have to check With Geoff Notkin to be certain. Meteorite Exchange usually posts a meteorite Tucson Guide with The location of all the dealers, contact info on visitors, events, etcthough I don't think they did it last year. Crappy memory and can't Be sure if I thought that, they said they weren't but then did or if they Said they weren't going to do it and didn't do it. It sucks to have your Memory go. Can't tell difference between what you thought about and What really happened. Oh well, beats the alternative. Best regards, Michael > > Mike > > Mike Tettenborn > Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada > t...@rogers.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 __ 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
