Fireballs
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Fireball

Artificial meteor shower planned for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

2020 Olympics Logo
© Eugene Hoshiko/AP/Press Association ImagesJapan won't host the Games for another four years but planning is well under way.
A man-made meteor shower as the center-piece of the opening ceremony is just one of the ways Tokyo is gearing up to produce the most high-tech Olympic Games to date in 2020.

According to the people at Futurism the budget for the Games is likely to come in at close to $18 billion with the event itself driving a host of new tech builds including automated taxis and that artificial meteor shower.

It will be provided by a Japanese astronomy start-up called Ale who plan to release a micro-satellite into space that will shoot out thousands of little spheres that will burn up and glow on on re-entry like a real meteorite shower.

Another innovation for 2020 is a plan by Panasonic to work on an instant translation device.

While there are 206 countries sending athletes to the Games, the device — which they hope can be worn around the next — will translate Japanese into 10 of the most widely spoken languages.

The same company is also planning an app that allows visitors to scan Japanese signs and translate them instantly.

It's not unusual for Japan to use the Olympics to showcase tech developments.

During the 1964 Games in Tokyo, they introduced the Shinkansen Bullet Trains. By 2020, the next-generation will have a top speed of 600 kph, just a bit faster than Usain Bolt.

Read the other innovations they have planned here.

Fireball 3

Giant fireball 'ten times brighter than the moon' turns night into day in this spectacular footage

Giant fireball ten times brighter than the moon turns night into day
Scientists caught the natural phenomenon that was caused by a piece of meteorite breaking off from a comet and hitting the Earth's atmosphere

Spanish scientists have captured the moment a fireball said to be ten times brighter than the moon hurtled through the sky.

The natural phenomenon was registered by the La Hita Observatory in Toledo in the early hours of this morning.

The incredible sight was caused by a 30kg meteorite, which had broken off from a comet, hitting the Earth's atmosphere.

The spectacle could also reportedly be seen in southern and eastern Spain, including the regions of Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia.


Fireball 4

Bright green meteor fireball explodes over Saudi Arabia on April 3, 2016

Saudi Arabia meteor fireball
© Youtube/faheem291 (screen capture)
That's nothing special! Just a bunch of kids playing football under the light of an incredibly bright bolide that exploded over northern Saudi Arabia, April 3, 2016.

Do you have more information about this sighting? Imagine the loud boom in the sky! Woah!

Yesterday, another bright meteor disintegrated over New Zealand.

Source: via VK



Fireball 4

Bright green meteor fireball seen by dozens across New Zealand

New Zealand meteor
© JM Photography/FacebookThe meteor photographed in this marvellous picture by Wellington man Jono Matla was likely large enough to be classed as a fireball.
A meteor lighting up the sky above New Zealand has been seen by star gazers from across the country.On Tuesday night Weatherwatch.co.nz reported it had received dozens of reports of a meteor in the hour from 9pm.

Those who'd sent in reports described the meteor as being green with a white tail and said it appeared to be close to the Earth.They said it was spotted just after 9pm, and was travelling from east to west.Sightings came from Titahi Bay in Wellington - a resident in Pikarere StrD said it was "big, bright, turquoise coloured".

Sarah from Whanganui wrote that she had seen what looked like a bright green, large meteor. "Never seen anything like this, ever." A Manawatu resident said: "It was gorgeous. I've seen shooting stars before high up in the sky, but this was a granddaddy one."

In Mt Roskill, Auckland, it was mistaken for fireworks. "But this thing was no fireworks, the green cluster of light, was the size of a basket ball, heading horizontally on a downward slope across the sky."


Cloud Precipitation

3,500 evacuated following widespread flooding in Fiji

Residents of Korociri cross the flooded Nadi Back Road
© Fiji GovernmentResidents of Korociri cross the flooded Nadi Back Road
One person is reported dead and another missing in the widespread flooding which has hit Fiji over the past two days.

The body of a 70-year-old man was found floating in the Sabeto River this morning, FBC News reported.

The broadcaster said the man was believed to have gone for an early morning swim.

A 19-year-old girl, meanwhile, has been reported missing after she was washed away by strong river currents last night.

More than 3500 people have moved to 79 evacuation centres in the north and west of the main island Viti Levu, as two tropical depressions continue to affect the country.


Fireball 2

Bright, white meteor fireball spotted in British Columbia, Washington state

White fireball - stock image
© ABCStock photo
Initial Meteor Reports

01APR2016 Kachur Surrey,BC 21:10 ish pm 3sec. Was facing south came down from the left to right. No sound, extremely bright white,with red flames as it burnt It seemed bright as the sun for a split sec then turned white/blue color then red ball. It was close like over white rock area. No photo.

01APR2016 Andrew Port Coquitlam BC Canada 21:00 approx pacific time 10 seconds? Still burning when it left my view NE to SW white/yellow flame bang followed 30 seconds or so later bright and low not very bright, burning like a giant rocket.

01APR2016 Julia Coates Marysville WA USA 2050 pm 3 seconds East/West. White to blue to red; brighter than the moon but not as bright as the sun. It was the first fireball I have ever seen. It was so beautiful.

01APR2016 Ian Pocock Chemainus BC Canada 20:45/Pacific Approx 2 seconds Start SE stop SSE Pale flare followed by brief green, no sound heard 2-3 x brighter than Venus. The brief flare (as it hit the atmosphere?) It was interesting.

01APR2016 Sherri Osoyoos BC Close to 2040 3-4 sec SE. To NW Very fast white fireball. Just noticed a very bright big ball of white flying over the sky, it didn't seem too high up.
BC meteor map
© Google Maps

Meteor

How big an asteroid would it take to wipe out New York City?

New York asteroid impact
© Business Insider
An asteroid doesn't need to be massive to cause serious damage. The Chicxulub asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is estimated to have been about 6 miles in diameter. That may sound like a pretty big space rock, but relative to Earth it's pretty tiny.

But what's the likelihood of an asteroid of that size coming into contact with Earth again? The following is from NASA's website:
Every day, Earth is bombarded with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles.

About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth's atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface.

Every 2,000 years or so, a meteoroid the size of a football field hits Earth and causes significant damage to the area.

Only once every few million years, an object large enough to threaten Earth's civilization comes along. Impact craters on Earth, the moon and other planetary bodies are evidence of these occurrences.

Meteor

Exploding meteor fireball brightens night sky in Albacete, Spain

Spain fireball
This bright exploding meteor turned the night sky into day for a fraction of a second on 31 March 2016. The fireball was filmed over Spain at 2:36am UTC (4:36am local time).

The event was produced by the impact of a cometary fragment with the atmosphere at a velocity of about 90.000 km/h.

The impacting rock got ten times brighter than the moon.

The fireball was recorded by cameras placed at the observatory of La Hita in Toledo, when the fireball flew across the sky of the province of Albacete. It has also been reported by skywatchers in Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia.


Meteor

Bright meteor fireball filmed over Oliveira, Brazil

Brazil fireball
A very bright bolide captured by SONEAR meteor camera:


Fireball 3

Strange object spotted falling from the sky over South West England

Photos have surfaced of what appears to be an object falling from the sky. Gudrun Limbrick posted the photo in the Facebook page A Place In North Devon.
Strange Object
© Gudrun LimbrickThese photos were captured by Gudrun Limbrick this evening.
People have been coming up with possible explanations including a meteorite, plane entrails or a strange cloud. It was seen from all over North Devon including in Combe Martin and Braunton.

Gudrun said: "I live in Woolacombe and popped my head out the door to have a look at the post-sunset sky about 8pm. I watched it for about 20 minutes as it moved down the sky and changed shape."

Do you think you know what the object might be? If so get in touch by emailing fran@northdevonjournal.co.uk