Two billion years ago a meteorite 10km in diameter hit the earth about 100km southwest of Johannesburg, creating an enormous impact crater. This area, near Vredefort in the Free State, is now known as the Vredefort Dome.
It was voted South Africa's seventh World Heritage site at Unesco's 29th World Heritage Committee meeting in Durban in July 2005.
Fire in the Sky
Have you ever stepped outside after dinner to walk the dog--just in time to see a bright fireball streak across the sky? It makes you wonder, how often does that happen?
Pretty often, according to astronomer Bill Cooke of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Using a computer model of Earth's meteoroid environment, he made this plot showing the global number of fireballs per day vs. the brightness of the fireball:
Pretty often, according to astronomer Bill Cooke of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Using a computer model of Earth's meteoroid environment, he made this plot showing the global number of fireballs per day vs. the brightness of the fireball:
Jarmo Moilanen, a municipal computer expert and amateur astronomer in the Finnish community of Vaala, has detected a new shower of meteors in the tale of a hitherto unknown comet.
Moilanen's two monitoring cameras that he keeps pointed at the sky and linked to his computer, registered an unexpected meteor shower already in October last year.
Moilanen's two monitoring cameras that he keeps pointed at the sky and linked to his computer, registered an unexpected meteor shower already in October last year.
ELEANOR HALL: Over the last two days, police and news organisations in South Australia and western Victoria have been inundated with reports of mysterious lights in the night sky.
Some have described a fireball shooting across the horizon just before sunset, while callers in north-west Victoria have reported seeing a bright object flying across the sky.
The Astronomical Society of South Australia's Dr Tony Beresford has told Nance Haxton that while the sightings have sparked some UFO speculation, the cosmic mystery is most likely a meteor.
Some have described a fireball shooting across the horizon just before sunset, while callers in north-west Victoria have reported seeing a bright object flying across the sky.
The Astronomical Society of South Australia's Dr Tony Beresford has told Nance Haxton that while the sightings have sparked some UFO speculation, the cosmic mystery is most likely a meteor.
LET'S pause for a moment and ponder Elizabeth Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama.
On this day in 1954 she was napping in her living room when a meteorite the size of grapefruit crashed through the ceiling, bounced off her radio, and gave her a nasty bruise.
This is the only time in human history that we can say with certainty someone was hit by a space rock.
On this day in 1954 she was napping in her living room when a meteorite the size of grapefruit crashed through the ceiling, bounced off her radio, and gave her a nasty bruise.
This is the only time in human history that we can say with certainty someone was hit by a space rock.
Comment: Poor guy. He still thinks that our political leaders would clue us in in such an eventuality!
LACON - At 5:28 p.m. Tuesday, Morgan County 911 lines began ringing. A brilliant lime-green light had appeared, callers said, possibly a downed aircraft.
Callers to The Daily described the same thing, some saying they saw an object falling from the sky and breaking into pieces before the light appeared.
Callers to The Daily described the same thing, some saying they saw an object falling from the sky and breaking into pieces before the light appeared.
Comment: Sure, it was only space junk. Nothing to worry about here, folks. Move along now. Don't fret about the increase in reports oif bright fireballs. It's only space junk. Really. Have we ever lied to you before?
In what sounds like a scene from the 70s movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, people in South Australia and western Victoria have deluged police and media with reports of a spectacular meteor sighting.
Residents in the northwest part of the valley say they heard a large boom that was followed by several seconds of shaking Monday afternoon.
Channel 8 Eyewitness News received calls from people in the areas of Summerlin Parkway and Lone Mountain, and 215 and Cheyenne.
Channel 8 Eyewitness News received calls from people in the areas of Summerlin Parkway and Lone Mountain, and 215 and Cheyenne.
RESIDENTS in central and western Victoria have reported seeing a bright light, possibly a comet, streaking across the sky just before sunset.
Callers to ABC Radio reported seeing the bright green coloured object shooting westward in the sky from Bendigo to Horsham in the state's northwest down to Colac in the southwest.
Callers to ABC Radio reported seeing the bright green coloured object shooting westward in the sky from Bendigo to Horsham in the state's northwest down to Colac in the southwest.
For years the mainstream scientific community has fed us the line that there is nothing to worry about down on Earth from meteor impacts because the really big ones only happen once every 500,000 to 1,000,000 years. Now, a small group of scientists are challenging that view:
Comment: So all of the reports in the newspapers? Fugettaboutit. Nothing important here, folks. Move along.