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Fire in the SkyS
The United States Air Force has launched an investigation and hope to provide residents who heard a series of loud booms Monday with an answer to clear up any confusion.
One of the main weaknesses of the environmental movement has been its unfortunate predilection for using doom-laden language and catastrophic superlatives to describe problems that are serious but not immediately disastrous. But one calamity that truly deserves such a description is almost never talked about. There are tens of millions of asteroids in the solar system, and several thousand move in orbits that take them close to Earth. Sooner or later, one of them is going to hit it.
Several have done so in the past. Earth's active surface and enthusiastic weather conspire to scrub the tell-tale impact craters from the planet's surface relatively quickly, but the pockmarked surface of the moon - where such scars endure for much longer - testifies to the amount of rubble floating in the solar system. Earth's thick atmosphere makes it better protected than the moon: asteroids smaller than about 35 metres (115 feet) across will burn up before hitting its surface. Nevertheless, plenty of craters exist. The Earth Impact Database in Canada lists more than 170.
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| ©NASA |
Several have done so in the past. Earth's active surface and enthusiastic weather conspire to scrub the tell-tale impact craters from the planet's surface relatively quickly, but the pockmarked surface of the moon - where such scars endure for much longer - testifies to the amount of rubble floating in the solar system. Earth's thick atmosphere makes it better protected than the moon: asteroids smaller than about 35 metres (115 feet) across will burn up before hitting its surface. Nevertheless, plenty of craters exist. The Earth Impact Database in Canada lists more than 170.
Sheriff's Department officials reported receiving dozens of calls from residents around the county who reported feeling shaking and loud booms at three different times before about 1:30 p.m. Residents from California Valley to Arroyo Grande reported feeling the shaking and hearing the booms.
Comment: From the comments section of the article:
I've lived in California all of my 48 years, and I've heard sonic booms many times before, including the big double boom of the shuttle coming in. This was much different. It was 3 or 4 seconds of what sounded like a jackhammer on my walls, followed by a window rattling boom.
If the Air Force is playing with a new secret toy, fine, say "no comment", but this story isn't working for me at all.
Early risers in Auckland were treated to a natural fireworks display this morning - spotting a meteorite flashing across the West Coast sky.
Comment: With the amount of reported fireballs and meteorites falling on earth in recent years, and the amount of UFO sightings multiplying as time goes by, there is of course "no cause for concern".
Back to sleep folks!
At Gerrity Stone in Woburn, they know a lot about rocks. But they can't identify the one that punched a hole through their roof the other day.
NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported that experts are examining the object, trying to determine exactly what it is.
"No one around here has ever seen anything like this. A real mystery," said Gerrity's Alan Weiner.
NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported that experts are examining the object, trying to determine exactly what it is.
"No one around here has ever seen anything like this. A real mystery," said Gerrity's Alan Weiner.
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| ©TheBostonChannel.com |
WOBURN, Mass. -- Experts say the rock-like object that fell from the sky in Woburn is not a meteorite.
However, they say the item probably is something from space and is radioactive.
The object came crashing through the roof of a warehouse in Woburn last week.
However, they say the item probably is something from space and is radioactive.
The object came crashing through the roof of a warehouse in Woburn last week.
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| ©WHDH-TV |
Comment: Not a meteorite - probably is something from space? What explanation are they going to come up with this time?
Middlebury - A quiet summer afternoon was shattered around 3:00 Monday, when a loud boom could be heard and felt for miles around.
"It was very loud," Bob Bergstrom said.
"It was impressive that the whole building shook," Netaka White said.
The loud boom was followed by the sound of people asking -- what was that?
"It was very loud," Bob Bergstrom said.
"It was impressive that the whole building shook," Netaka White said.
The loud boom was followed by the sound of people asking -- what was that?
Comment: If hearing the sonic boom from the check flight is unusual, then maybe another explanation is in order?
From Cassiopedia, Sonic boom:
The sound of a sonic boom depends largely on the distance between the observer and the aircraft producing the sonic boom. A sonic boom is usually heard as a deep double "boom" as the aircraft is usually some distance away. However, as those who have witnessed landings of space shuttles have heard, when the aircraft is nearby the sonic boom is a sharper "bang" or "crack". The sound is much like the "aerial bombs" used at firework displays.
A very bright, loud meteor streaked over Custer County airspace early Monday morning. Two miners saw a large fireball light up the Squaw Creek drainage as bright as day, then break up into half a dozen smaller pieces and fizzle out.
The sonic boom woke sleepers and lit the skies from the Pahsimeroi, Challis and Clayton, to Stanley. The meteor was spotted from Pine and Featherville, to Boise and McCall.
The sonic boom woke sleepers and lit the skies from the Pahsimeroi, Challis and Clayton, to Stanley. The meteor was spotted from Pine and Featherville, to Boise and McCall.
It was a quiet Sunday night in Kovinna, Andiambalama. At 9.05 p.m., 24-year-old H.T. Nadeeshani was having a bath at the well in her garden when she noticed something unusual in the western sky. A bright light, almost as large as the full moon, appeared to be moving towards her in a wide arc. Alarmed by thoughts of terrorist air attacks, she called out to her neighbour, Mrs. Renuka Jayakody. Together they watched fearfully as the glowing object drew closer, landed on the Jayakodys' roof and vanished completely. A few minutes later the air vibrated with a loud explosion.
The next day they discovered that parts of the asbestos sheets on the roof were charred and cracked. A few pieces of rock and sand were scattered around the damaged area.
Similar incidents were reported around the country that night. Several people in areas such as Puttalam, Maho and Bingiriya also noted the appearance of the bright light in the sky as well as the loud explosion. "We thought it was another air attack or the beams from the airport," says K. Sarath, a trishaw driver in Kimbulapitiya who watched a flaming object land on a house and heard the booming sounds soon afterwards.
In Campbell Place, Dehiwala, the roofs of two buildings were damaged, and a loud noise was heard. "24 asbestos sheets were broken," says M.D. Sampath who works in one of the buildings, adding that there was no sign of what caused the damage.
The next day they discovered that parts of the asbestos sheets on the roof were charred and cracked. A few pieces of rock and sand were scattered around the damaged area.
Similar incidents were reported around the country that night. Several people in areas such as Puttalam, Maho and Bingiriya also noted the appearance of the bright light in the sky as well as the loud explosion. "We thought it was another air attack or the beams from the airport," says K. Sarath, a trishaw driver in Kimbulapitiya who watched a flaming object land on a house and heard the booming sounds soon afterwards.
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| Prasanna Jayakody shows the damaged roof. |
In Campbell Place, Dehiwala, the roofs of two buildings were damaged, and a loud noise was heard. "24 asbestos sheets were broken," says M.D. Sampath who works in one of the buildings, adding that there was no sign of what caused the damage.
Did you think you were wishing upon a falling star Wednesday night? Sorry, it was just burning space debris.
What many people saw was the beginning of a minor meteor shower, named after the constellation Bootes, according to Ron DiIulio, director of the University of North Texas' astronomy lab program.
What's causing this meteor shower? The Earth is passing through the tail of a comet.
What many people saw was the beginning of a minor meteor shower, named after the constellation Bootes, according to Ron DiIulio, director of the University of North Texas' astronomy lab program.
What's causing this meteor shower? The Earth is passing through the tail of a comet.
Comment: Well, SOTT has been saying it all along, and supported it with research and data: Forget About Global Warming: We're One Step From Extinction!