Massive object crashes over Edmonton, Canada

So you mean we are no longer stuffing the trash into the Progress ships and dumping them in the ocean?

Canada's meteor tracking stations:
All-Sky Camera Database
North American Fireball Camera Network

Meteorite Observation and Recording Program MORP

Origin of meteor ...



source

also
Alberta UFo Study Group



[edit on 24-11-2008 by violet]

I wasn't arguing that meteoric events of such magnitude are rare or unique. My point was that there were at least 3 such events over 4 days over our Northern continent, (Sacramento, New Hampshire, Edmonton). If this were something that happened all the time then I should have seen one of that brightness in my life. We all should have by now, (not regular meteors, the extremely bright ones that erase shadows). Personally, I think its a bit odd for events of this magnitude/luminousity to happen so close together. (example- Flip a coin, 50/50 its heads. Flip it 10 times, there's still a 50/50 each time that it will be heads. But what are the chances that all 10 flips will be heads? Different odds when you ask the right question.)

Ehhh, but what's the point of arguing on the internet? It is what it is.

I've actually explained the physics behind meteors, numerous times in this thread. There's no excuse for posting the clap-trap above. Please read the thread before commenting, and making yourself look foolish.




Superficially similar... had me fooled for a bit! The latter event is actually significantly brighter, but it's hard to tell from the footage.

It just goes to show how frequent these things really are.

They may never recover meteorites from either event - there are no guarantees that any survived, although the sonic booms in the event on Thursday are a strong indicator that something may have survived.



I seriously doubt it. The chances of finding any meteorites in any event are low. They need all the help they can get to stand any chance of finding it before the weather closes in. Even if a member of the public finds it, it's better than not finding it. At least that way, there is a chance that that person will donate or sell some to the scientists for research. In cases like this, researchers are willing to pay good money for samples because meteorites are so valuable to science.

Confusing is just the nature of events like this.



Thanks Kathy, but you're preaching to the choir here - I'm well aware of the above. What threw me was the time of the other event, which was reported wrongly.



It's big news because it's rare for a meteor of this scale to be seen by so many people and filmed from so many angles.

I agree with you, it's not a particularly rare event - something on this scale probably happens every month or two somewhere around the world.


reply to post by zorgon

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Hey zorgon,

FYI, that is a space-junk reentry, not a natural meteor. Most meteors don't break up like that (though it does happen sometimes - eg. Peeskill). They tend to stay in one piece, and if they do break up, it's usually 2 or three pieces that can be seen separating. Most of the time, when you see a breakup like the one in the footage you posted, it's going to be space-junk.

Meteors are frequent. Just because you don't see them, does not mean they are not happening all around you and all the time... you only need to turn your back for a second, and you could miss one.

First of all, you need to be outside (usually). Secondly, you need to be looking up. Thirdly it needs to be dark or getting dark as well as being relatively clear for you to stand a good chance. All of these things will increase your chances of seeing one like this, but there are no guarantees. It's a combination of luck, timing, and spending as much time as you can outside in open areas, especially when it's dark. Give it a go this week - I wouldn't be surprised if you saw one as bright as the moon if you put in 4 or 5 hours a night for 3-4 nights in a row.

How much time would you estimate you've spent looking at the sky this week?

I think a better analogy than flipping one coin would be to have a handful of them which is thrown on the table, and then see which is heads or tails.

Anyway, I have seen at least 2 or three fireballs that cast shadows on the ground (not on quite the same scale as this event though), but I do spend allot of time looking when there are likely to be fireballs around.

3 or 4 events in the same area, around the same time, is nothing strange. Remember, only one of the events was seen by many many people, and that was an exceptional event with exceptionally good timing to be seen by many. The other 2 or three events were hardly noticed by anyone, as usually happens. If it was not for the major event, hardly anyone would know about them, which is the way it usually is, because most people miss even the large events. This is well known by meteor observers.

Most people are busy doing other things, and not looking up at the sky. The majority will never see a meteor like this in their lifetime. Few if any get to see two as bright as this. The lucky few, either just happened to be looking at the right place and in the right location at the right time, or they are the type to spend hours on end every night looking at the sky.

Edit to expand a bit more on what I said, and for clarity.

[edit on 24-11-2008 by C.H.U.D.]

Well let me help you...


stardate.org...

So when Dec 15th rolls around grab some warm clothes and go outside at night and look up. Can't guarantee you will see a big one but if there is one in the pack, you will see it.

Best thing is to get away from city lights, and a clear view of the whole sky. We use a garden lounge and just lie back looking up. If you do a slow circular scan around the center of the sky your eyes natural motion sensitivity at the peripheral vision will pick up any on the fringes.

A good shower will generate 10 good ones in an hour and many small ones...

We go up to Haloran Summit here just outside Vegas its at 4800 feet, no lights and no pollution

[edit on 24-11-2008 by zorgon]

reply to post by zorgon

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Good advice

But, the Geminids peak is actually on the night/morning of the 13th/14th, not the 15th.

I'll be posting a thread on them in the Space Exploration forum soon

[edit on 24-11-2008 by C.H.U.D.]

Don't know if this was posted already but it appears that the MSM finally decided they would run this story.... This is one of the reasons I love ATS. I can get real-time news updates in seconds as compared to days by the MSM....

www.msnbc.msn.com...

reply to post by ExistenceUnknown

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Cool article, states:



I have no doubts. That's why I complained about zero coverage from the non-local news. Thank you so much for posting.

reply to post by internos

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You forgot about the most important video of all... This one:

From minut 1.11 to 1.14

YouTube Link

Had to say it

Just to set the record straight - that is not a natural meteor.

It is a Russian booster reentering the atmosphere. It just happened to be at the same time as the Quadrantid meteor shower, which peaked around the 3rd/4th January 2007.

Russian Rocket Looks Like Meteor Shower

Space junk blazes through Western skies

Fireball over Colorado



Source: Piece of Russian-made rocket lands in Wyoming


The Quadrantids on the other hand, like the meteors of most other cometary meteor showers, appear as discrete streaks (see vids in link) in the sky, and are usually very fast, unlike space-junk. They also do not break up like space junk - it's rare to see cometary meteors break up in that fashion - more often than not they self-destruct in a very bright flash.

Harder objects like asteroids (eg the topic of this thread) can also produce flashes when they break apart/fragment, but as I said before, it tends to be only 2 or 3 bits at a time, and it really looks anything like space-junk although there are exceptions like the Peeskill fireball.




Oh the irony...



[edit on 24-11-2008 by C.H.U.D.]

CHUD,

"Remember, only one of the events was seen by many many people, and that was an exceptional event with exceptionally good timing to be seen by many. The other 2 or three events were hardly noticed by anyone, as usually happens. If it was not for the major event, hardly anyone would know about them, which is the way it usually is, because most people miss even the large events. This is well known by meteor observers. "


There were at least two magnificent events, each just as bright as the other. The meteor above the Sacramento area happened at ~5:30 in the afternoon, Nov. 18 and was seen as far away as Modesto during daylight hours. It split apart as it approached the ground. People on the freeway saw it during peak traffic. My father in law saw it for himself as did many others. www.kcra.com...
"...Hardly noticed by anyone..."???
It was just as bright as the one over Edmonton on Nov. 21. Also, another poster claimed there was a 3rd meteor seen over New Hampshire on Nov. 19 and it, too, was incredibly bright.


"Meteors are frequent. Just because you don't see them, does not mean they are not happening all around you and all the time... you only need to turn your back for a second, and you could miss one."

Miss one? I was nearly hit by one, relatively speaking, LOL! I see meteors all the time, my whole life. Saw a couple last night. I've had a meteor fly ~100 ft from me. I saw the small fireball with flaming tail flash right in front of me. I heard the whoosh. I felt the heat wave as it passed. But I guess that happens all the time, too. And I thought twister dodgin' was a dangerous sport!

Well yes, in comparison to the event on the 20th.

The point I was trying to make was, that usually people don't see these things unless they get lucky once or twice in their lives. Sure they occurred over the same area roughly, but it's unlikely that any individual got to see more that two of them. Like most rules, there are exceptions, and perhaps 1 lucky guy was looking in the right place and the right time to see all of them.




Sounds good to me! Whenever there are fireballs, it tends to be cloudy here, in recent times at least! I think theres a conspiracy there

You can be pretty certain that a "glowing" meteor will never come anywhere near you. Meteors are all illusion.

By the way, it's very possible that you did hear the meteor - see:

Listening to Leonids
Electrophonic Sounds from Bolides

Spooky when you hear one isn't it?!

THe NAtional , Canadian nightly 10PM news broke for a commercial but they had a teaser about the meteor. I'll post any updates I learn from the story....2 minutes to go...
The search is now on.....they showed the popular vids.....by comparing vids they think it landed near Manitou Lake. THat's it.

Manitou Lake Saskatchewan .

[edit on 24-11-2008 by venividivici]

They are looking in the wrong place. It will be by the Manitoba border. That is my thought anyway.

I am one of those people who can 'hear' them... And it's something when you try to describe it. "You can *hear* meteors. Did you have your meds today?"

I don't know the exact science- and the one article I did read on it made my head explode from the density. All I know is my ears say it sounds like Roman candles going over.

I Also learned not to tell anyone with the IQ of a tomato sandwich about stuff like that. ;-)