Fire in the SkyS


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Two separate fireballs explode over Tennessee, 17 December 2013

The AMS has received over 40 reports so far about a fireball over central Tennessee last night around 8:20 central time. The event was captured by two cameras in the NASA All Sky Fireball Network operated by Bill Cooke of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
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© NASA / Bill CookeSuper Bolide over Tennessee – December 17th, 2013

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Russian 'meteorite hunter' listed in Nature's Top 10 scientists of 2013

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© RIA Novosti / Oleg VinogradovThe trace of a flying object in the sky over Satka, the Chelyabinsk Region.
Nature journal has included Viktor Grokhovsky, a professor from Russia's Urals, in the list of 10 scientists who "mattered" in 2013. He was able to track down fragments of "the biggest object to hit our planet in a century" - the Chelyabinsk meteorite.

The prominent scientific journal in its 'Nature's 10' list for 2013 hailed breakthroughs in areas ranging from creating a tool to customize DNA in bacteria to fighting, even in courts, against pharmaceutical companies snatching up patents on human genes Proof that babies born with HIV can be cured goes hand in hand with search for sister Earths - and the meteorite which roared into the news at the dawn of the year.

When a 13,000-ton celestial body exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on February 15, not only did it come as a surprise for astronomers, but also created a long-lasting puzzle on where the remains of the enormous rock could have gone.

Even after a large suspicious-looking ice hole was discovered in Lake Chebarkul near Chelyabinsk, it was soon dismissed as having formed for "other reasons", as the initial attempts to search the lake's bed for meteorite parts proved fruitless.

Comment: Check out: Celestial Intentions: Comets and the Horns of Moses


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Fireball or meteor spotted over Alabama

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© Screenshot/Dropcam/wilmadavidThe fireball seen above a house in Trussville, Alabama.
A fireball or meteor was spotted over parts of Alabama on Tuesday, including Birmingham, Gadsden, and Mores.

People across the state began reporting seeing a fireball around 9:25 p.m. EDT.

"Did anyone else just see that HUGE fireball in the western Birmingham sky?!" said Christoper Flores via Twitter.

"Just saw a huge meteor fall in northern sky," added Ron Dewberry. "Amazing fireball falling. Think the biggest and brightest I've ever seen. Seen from Clay County."

"I saw it at Vulcan," Mark McCollister added." Looked like a Roman candle."

Sightings also happened in Springville, Cullman, and Demopolis, among other areas.

Story developing; check back for updates

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Probable meteor fireball blazes over San Diego, 17 December 2013

Meteor
© T.J. SinsayStars in the San Diego Skyline.
Officials received calls from residents of San Diego County reporting something falling from the sky early Tuesday.

San Diego County Sheriff's Department received several calls reporting something in the sky over State Route 52 at Mission Gorge in Santee.

Deputies checked the area where witnesses claimed to see something fall to the ground just before 5 a.m. They told NBC 7 there were no aircraft missing or overdue at the nearby Gillespie Field.

Heartland firefighters assisted in the search and said they are considering the reports unfounded, believing the object may have been a meteor. There are two meteor showers happening right now and visible from Southern California.

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Meteorite Explodes Above Arizona

Meteorite arizona
© YouTubeA meteorite passed over Arizona
A meteorite has exploded into a huge fireball above Arizona just days before the year's best meteor shower.

The explosion involved a fireball and a loud bang, with some residents saying their homes were shaken by the meteorite. It was captured on film by a number of people, with footage of the fireball showing it moving across the sky.

Eyewitness Tony Kubrack told CNN: "I see this tremendous, white, bright light in the western sky. And it was just ... it was absolutely enormous, I couldn't believe it."

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Two separate meteor fireballs explode over Greece in one night, 11 December 2013

Translation from Greek by SOTT.net

Concern over the ongoing occurrence

Two new meteorites fell in Greece last night, the first one spotted over Attica and the second over the Ionian Sea, between Zakynthos and Kefalonia where the previous one had fallen.

According to professor of geology Efthymios Lekkas, these past two weeks the country has received a small meteor shower.

As Mr Lekkas said in channel SKAI's morning broadcast, he has a video of one of these meteorites at his disposal.

However in both cases of Attica and the Ionian sea there was no report of the celestial object falling on the land, and it is very probable that we are talking about a fall within the bounds of the sea once again.

The experts believe that the fall of the meteorite in Greece has nothing to do with comet ISON, in fact considering it a commonplace event.

Comment: See also: Meteor explodes over Greece, panicked locals report fragments falling into sea

It's unlikely that anything actually 'fell into the sea'. If something had done so, everyone around the Med would be left in no doubt! (ie, a devastating tsunami would likely have resulted).

However, exploding and fragmenting fireballs can seem quite close to the ground, even as they're high up in the atmosphere.

Which isn't to say that they can't reach low enough to cause serious damage on the ground. Just look at Chelyabinsk, where 3,000 people were injured and most windows in the city were blown in.

Note also that this is the third or fourth report we've seen in the past fortnight of people noticing that

a.) this is a global phenomenon;
b.) the numbers of fireballs are increasing.

It may not be long before people become aware en masse and public perception shifts...


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Massive overhead explosion in Phoenix, Arizona produces sonic boom and leaves lingering pungent smell for miles around

Yet another fireball over Arizona created a sonic boom, this time on December 10, 2013. I live in the Chandler area of Arizona and stepped outside that evening and both saw and smelled a strange smoke that lingered in the air afterwards for over an hour.


Comment: There's an incredible twist in the tale of this meteor report.

As readers can see, the above eyewitness maintains his own YouTube channel where he posts informative updates about some of the meteor fireball events taking place these days.

In his video report of December 4th, he played down the suggestion from someone commenting on his channel that Earth passing through ISON's tail or debris field might result in some kind of cyanide gas coming down through our atmosphere, saying:
"I don't think a gas is gonna come drifting through, so let's not worry about that..."
But then, just days later, a meteor fireball practically detonates above his head and leaves a 'strange smell' and 'visible haze' in his neighborhood!
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A photo posted by 'Fire in the Sky News' YT user, showing the 'smelly haze' lit up by nearby school sports-field floodlights. Despite denying such was possible in his previous report, the eyewitness now suspects this 'fireworks-like smell' may have been the result of an overhead meteor explosion.



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Yet another fireball lights up the Arizona sky

Meteor sightings were reported across the Valley and the entire state of Arizona Tuesday evening. A bright, green light flew across the Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson sky. In southern Arizona, many residents reported seeing the sky light up and then hearing a loud boom and rumble. KTAR's Dr. Sky says the object appears to be a sporadic fire ball.

"We're seeing more and more of the fireballs in our skies but nobody really knows why," Sky said.

Sky explained his theory behind Tuesday's phenomenon. He's says a meteor shower was taking place called the Andromedids.

"It's very possible that this could be material from a distinct comet that's called Beilas comet."

He reported that skywatchers have been seeing bright fireballs and meteors over the past few days.


Comment: SOTT.net has a good idea why we're seeing more and more fireballs in our skies:

Celestial Intentions: Comets and the Horns of Moses


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Eyes on the skies after 'meteor' spotted above Dundee, Scotland

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© Alison HepburnAlison Hepburn sent us this picture of an object hurtling through the sky above Dundee.
An extra-terrestrial flash of light was snapped shooting across the Dundee sky.

The image, taken by city woman Alison Hepburn, shows an object burning through the skies over Glenconnor Drive. The 26-year-old science student said she did a double-take when she noticed an exceptionally bright light overhead.

She said: "It was just after 9am. It was the light I noticed - it was really, really bright. You know when you glance at something and then you glance back again? At first I thought it was an aeroplane, but I realised it couldn't have been. I took pictures and in the space of two minutes it was gone."

The Alloway Terrace resident added: "I wondered if it might be what's left of the comet that broke up recently."

But Dundee Astronomical Society secretary David Paterson said it was more likely to be a meteor - fire-hot dust and rocks tearing through space.

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Fireball over Odda, Norway

Fireball over Odda
Fireball over Odda
Fireball over Odda may be a meteor. The Norwegian Meteor Network are asking people to be aware aorund Ringdal lake in Odda. There may have rained meteorites this week.

On Wednesday evening , at 19.33 according to calculations of the meteorite network a meteor went up in flames in the sky close to the border to Hardangervidda near Odda in Hordaland.

Comment: See video at source : Aftenposten.no