30 December 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News - Upcoming Asteroid Close Approaches! 2011 January

Upcoming Asteroid NEO Close Approaches!
 2011 January

  Expect increase in meteor/meteorite activity in January 2011!
  We will have many bright green meteors as we approach the date of 11JAN2010 and just after.
  Cameras ready? Please email if you capture one LunarMeteoriteHunter@gmail.com

  Find this site interesting?  Please post link  http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.com/ on Twitter and other sites.  Thank you.

  One to watch is Asteroid 2009 BS5 with an lunar distance (LD) of 3.4
 (1 305 600Km = ~811262 miles):
 2011-Jan-11
0.0087
3.4
8.8 m - 20 m
27.4
5.56

UPCOMING CLOSE APPROACHES TO EARTH

AU = ~150 million kilometers
1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers

Object
Name
Close
Approach
Date
Miss
Distance
(AU)
Miss
Distance
(LD)
Estimated
Diameter*
H
(mag)
Relative
Velocity
(km/s)
 2010-Dec-29
0.0293
11.4
50 m - 110 m
23.6
10.25
 2010-Dec-30
0.1580
61.5
120 m - 260 m
21.8
4.74
 2011-Jan-01
0.1648
64.1
52 m - 120 m
23.5
4.53
 2011-Jan-02
0.0171
6.6
13 m - 28 m
26.6
9.35
 2011-Jan-07
0.1965
76.5
1.3 km - 3.0 km
16.5
14.64
 2011-Jan-09
0.1823
70.9
33 m - 73 m
24.5
8.46
 2011-Jan-11
0.0087
3.4
8.8 m - 20 m
27.4
5.56
 2011-Jan-11
0.1588
61.8
200 m - 440 m
20.6
17.62
 2011-Jan-11
0.0477
18.6
220 m - 480 m
20.4
7.86
 2011-Jan-11
0.1710
66.6
100 m - 220 m
22.1
9.30
 2011-Jan-11
0.0998
38.8
180 m - 390 m
20.9
7.42
 2011-Jan-12
0.1801
70.1
310 m - 690 m
19.7
7.32
 2011-Jan-13
0.1848
71.9
52 m - 120 m
23.5
6.58
 2011-Jan-18
0.1823
70.9
18 m - 41 m
25.8
9.97
 2011-Jan-20
0.1384
53.9
160 m - 360 m
21.1
15.77
 2011-Jan-22
0.1647
64.1
110 m - 250 m
21.8
8.59
 2011-Jan-22
0.1899
73.9
220 m - 490 m
20.4
17.30
 2011-Jan-26
0.1628
63.3
490 m - 1.1 km
18.7
16.61
 2011-Jan-31
0.1255
48.8
77 m - 170 m
22.7
8.75
 2011-Jan-31
0.0948
36.9
24 m - 53 m
25.2
4.45

NEOs of January 2011 Credit: NASA/JPL 2011
For more information please visit the NASA /JPL NEO site http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/

Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey - Two Meteors or Three 29DEC2010

Breaking News - Readers of Meteor/Meteorite News Report Meteors in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey on 29DEC2010: 

Guest77 (guest):December 29, 2010,approximately 8:00pm Eastern standard time, location outside Hazleton, Pennsylvania, USA,while I was standing outside facing west saw a bright white meteor travel low across the sky from south east to northwest. Color was bright white, no tail and no sound. Shown distinctly through the trees surrounding my property.

Guest499 (guest): Saw a 3 sec fireball over southern NJ at around 8:30 looking west

Dec. 29, 2010 aprox. 8:40 pm. Marietta PA. on RT 441 at Glaxo Smith Kline. Bio facility. I was outside passing from building to another and witnessed the biggest and brightest meteor I have ever seen. It went just north of the Suns setting, So it was on a North West heading. I could see a "V" burn coming off the thing, but couldn't actually see the size or shape of it, It was burning a bright blue on the inside of the burn, lt. green streak through the middle of it with a lt. blue on the outter edge so bright it was almost white. It was spectacular! Glad I had the opportunity to witness it. Anyone have any information as to where it came from or where it may have landed? It looked so big and close that I'm sure there is a few pieces that made it to the ground.
M. D. Budiarto

Guest526 (guest):Driving north tonight,saw a bright white meteor that then appeared larger and fiery and green before disappearing. Lasted about five seconds. I'm in central Virginia, and this happened at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 29.

Anonymous said...
At just around 8:30 pm I was traveling north on State Route 33 just north of Wilson PA when I looked due west and noticed a beautiful green glow with a green tail. There was a white hot center with a redish halo around the center. It seemed to be falling northward.

Guest987 (guest): I was admiring the beautifull starlit night in Russell,Pa and seen a meteor in the eastern sky Dec. 29, 2010, around 9:20 pm

Meteor MA, MD, VA, NY, DC and PA 28DEC2010 Reports Continue

Large Meteor MA, MD, VA, NY, NH, NJ, DC, PA, RI 28DEC2010 6:45 pm -Add Maine and North Carolina!
A large meteor was seen in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Maine and North Carolina on 28DEC2010 at about 18:45 EST.


Securitycam Video, cellcam photos NEEDED; start looking! 
If you find this site interesting please tell your friends and post a link to Meteor/Meteorite News. Thank you!
Please email info and comments: LunarMeteoriteHunter@gmail.com

Email Letters from Readers of Meteor/Meteorite News:  Thank you Readers!
Falling Object - Report from Maine
Last night at about 6:50-6:55 I was driving on Rt ! in Kittery Maine. I saw a flash in the sky and looked up to see and object falling. I was looking SW toward I-95. It looked very close, but I couldn't hear anything and when it went out of sight, (hit the ground?) I couldn't see any smoke. It looked gray and rounded at the bottom, flat at the top. It looked somewhat concave from where I was. It had a tail of flame. It didn't look like sparks really, but flame. It looked yellow and orange with texture to the flames and was almost twice the length of the object. It was arching slightly at first and then seemed to fall straight down. Stina Sardinha (contact address on file)

meteor of 12/28/10
I just wanted to let you know that a friend and I saw the meteor from Meredith , NH at about 6:45 last night. It was so close that it looked like it was going to hit just over the hills. Now I’m reading that it looked like that for many people in many other states. Too bad.
It went from looking like a regular shooting star with the yellow ‘tail’ trailing to turning a bright green color right around the object. It was the most amazing thing I have seen.
Thank you for your website. It gave me a place to see that other people had seen the same thing as I did.  Carrie Chase (contact address on file)

Meteorite in New York 28DEC2010
Dear Editor,
Thanks for the confirmation: I saw the meteorite in New York City last night around 6:45 PM. It went from East to West, and was quite bright, appearing like a falling ember. It had a very bright orange "head" with a long white tail; the orange head quickly turned to white within one to two seconds. It was quite beautiful. I wonder where it landed. It seemed low to the ground when I saw it.
Rev. James Martin, S.J.
Culture Editor
America Magazine

Long island
Hello, we saw the meteor in suffolk county. Amazing! Same details as everyone else. Orange bright... I thought know one else had seen it! H.G. (contact info on file)

Meteor at 6:45 PM on 12/28/10
I saw it too in Rhode Island. I was heading due south on Route 295 and it was directly in front of me heading west and down. It was very big and very fast. Does anyone know where it went down? Or did it burn up before it got to earth? It looked way to big to me to have burned up.
--
Tom Conklin

Meteor Sighting in Boston, MA
Dear Editor
I just found your site and was happy to see that I wasn't imagining things! I was driving South out of Braintree, MA on Route 128/93 South towards Providence, RI at about 6:45pm and saw the falling meteor in what I would approximate was a South/South Easterly direction. I have never seen something so brilliant, I could see a large white ball at the end w/ a long tail but it then went behind the tree line and I couldn't see it anymore.
Thanks for your site, was very interesting to see how many others saw it too.
Regards,
Michelle L.

Meteor Over Rhode Island
Last night I saw a large meteor fall over Rhode Island . I was traveling S.W. on Rte 95 at around 6:48 between exits 6A and 7. It came high out of the sky from the South, slightly to my left and I thought it was a falling star. I actually started to make a wish (old school), and it became huge, turned green surrounded by a coppery color with a little tiny copper tail and traveled north (left to right), lasting about 3-4 seconds. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in the sky. I wish I had a picture, but I couldn’t even make my wish!
Thanks for letting me share!
Rita Casady
Circulation Marketing Manager
The Providence Journal Company
----------------------------

Meteor! MetCom readers wrote: (timestamp is Tokyo local time)
Dec 29 2010, 11:51 PM
Guest227 (guest): Hi there. I live in Douglassville, PA (about 1 hr northwest of Philadelphia). I was outside last evening (12/28) between 6:40 -6:50 PM filling birdfeeders. I was startled by something that streaked across the evening sky. It was travelling incredibly fast in a general east-west direction. The 'head' of the object appeared reddish and the very large tail was also a reddish-orange color.The whole thing was over before I barely registered it. It was such an awesome sight that I searched the web this morning

Dec 29 2010, 11:56 PM
Guest96 (guest):Same thing in Moyock NC. Large green ball of fire followed by a long bright tail - very low in the sky with an angle similar to a landing aircraft. Appeared to go down behind the tree line near Northwest annex naval support activity on the NC/VA border.I was heading south on South Mills Rd -took a look at the map and based on my location when I saw it - it was traveling NE to SW.Time based on my immediate call to my husband was 6:46-6:47.

Dec 30 2010, 12:08 AM
Guest494 (guest): We saw a green fireball as we were traveling on Interstate 95 South, just before exit 2 at Attleboro, Mass.It was quite low on the horizon, moving left to right more or less perpendicular to the interstate. The time was roughly 6:45 pm EST. PS That was 12/28/2010 at about 6:45 pm EST (the sighting from I95S near exit 2).

Dec 30 2010, 12:19 AM
Guest396 (guest): My daughter and I saw something white with a green tail falling from the sky around 6:45 p.m., Princeton,NJ. I'd never seen anything like it!

Dec 30 2010, 1:16 AM
Guest57 (guest): I saw the same thing around 6:45 PM. I am in Bishopville,Maryland

Dec 30 2010, 3:18 AM
Guest598 (guest): I'm still in awe of what I saw last night over NJ skies. How often does this kind of thing occur? It was a huge green spectacle falling down through the clouds. Incredible!

Dec 30 2010, 5:31 AM
Guest605 (guest): Last night I was driving and at around 6:45 in Newton, NJ I saw a fireball in the sky fly by. It was beautiful as it went through the clouds, it changed colors. Awesome!!!

Dec 30 2010, 8:44 AM
Guest347 (guest): Saw the meteor last night form Northern RI, it was to the Southwest.

Dec 30 2010, 9:04 AM
Guest288 (guest): At about 6:45 PM last night (Dec 28) I observed a large meteor in the sky over Central NJ. It was traveling from East to West. A bright white tail which turned red,then blue, then gone. All in about one second. Followed a low trajectory through the sky. A beautiful sight!

Dec 30 2010, 9:41 AM
Packrat (guest): We saw a meter on 26 dec at 1800 hrs driving north on hwy 14 in CA. It went from sw to SE on the horizon... We were almost to Mojave, CA at that time...

Dec 30 2010, 10:47 AM
(guest): Guest 616: At 6:50 last night my wife and I saw a lime green fire ball travel from east to west last night as we drove west on Sound Ave in Wading River NY. It had a small white center with sparks shooting off the sides as it tore through the evening sky. It had a rounded front and a flame-like rear.Stunning in its color and apparent closeness to the Earth.

Dec 30 2010, 11:04 AM
Guest68 (guest): I saw the same fireball from my back porch in Smyrna, DE ..It was an amazing spectical

Dec 30 2010, 1:15 PM
Guest476 (guest): ~6:50, Exton, pa - saw bright green flash,when I looked up I saw a meteor break into pieces and fade out overhead. Was traveling due north or north west. This was on the 28th.

29 December 2010

Breaking News - Large Meteor MA, MD, VA, NY, DC and PA 28DEC2010.

Breaking News: 
Traffic indicates that a large meteor was seen in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania on 28DEC2010 at about 18:45 EST.

Securitycam Video, cellcam photos NEEDED start looking!  
Please email: LunarMeteoriteHunter@gmail.com


Readers of Meteor/Meteorite News wrote (posting times are in Japan local time):

Dec 29 2010, 9:40 AM
Guest602 (guest): I saw facing north from Silver Spring, Intersection of I 95 and I 495 the same fireball Dec 28 about 18:45. It moved very fast from SE to NW high in the sky and flashed off about midway across the sky. It grew brighter with a tail and then looked like the kind of spark a metal flake makes: irregular not regular, round or radial.

Dec 29 2010, 9:41 AM
Draco18s (guest): That is definately the same event I saw. I caught it mid-arc when it flashed and saw the "metal sparks"

Dec 29 2010, 9:42 AM
Draco18s (guest): said sparks make me think it was space junk

Dec 29 2010, 9:43 AM
Guest816 (guest): That was the one we saw.The tail really lingered. I thought it looked pretty round,though

Dec 29 2010, 9:43 AM
Guest785 (guest): My daughter saw a meteor with a long,blue and multi-colored tail, around 7 pm,EST, as she was headed east from Richmond, Va, on 64 W, on way to Williamsburg, and she said it seemed to be very close to the freeway; it measured about 3 and a half inches on her car's windshield, but, of course, she didn't know how far away it was. I told her I'd post it and see if anyone else saw it. She was it for several seconds and kept marveling over the colors and the large size.

Dec 29 2010, 9:48 AM
Draco18s (guest):Sounds like the same one. Due to observable area, it was likely near-orbital.

Dec 29 2010, 9:48 AM
Draco18s (guest): (PA,MA, and VA locations so far, plus Silver Springs in an unnamed state)

Dec 29 2010, 9:50 AM
Guest602 (guest):Silver Spring,Maryland

Dec 29 2010, 9:50 AM
Guest816 (guest):Silver Spring Maryland, just inside the beltway, sorry!

Dec 29 2010, 9:50 AM
Draco18s (guest): its ok. I was just trying to find the place on the map and there was more than one Silver Springs

Dec 29 2010, 9:52 AM
Guest756 (guest): Saw it awhile ago over Sparks MD. Huge,trailing sparks and seeming low in the sky. Hour ago around 6:45pm or so.

Dec 29 2010, 9:55 AM
Guest602 (guest):There are several Silver Springs – plural, but only one Silver Spring – singular that I know of and that is in Maryland.

Dec 29 2010, 10:07 AM
Guest602 (guest):Comments about “low in the sky” describes to me what I saw as a bright, wide, lingering tail and even wider brighter flash at the end while it was climbing above three quarters from the horizon making it”appear” low in the atmosphere. There was a commercial airliner behind it coming in on a final approach to BWI Airport, and at first it “appeared” lower but there was no sound and nothing that looked like a rain of debris.

Dec 29 2010, 10:39 AM
Guest227 (guest): Saw the same from Fredericksburg VA looking just slightly east at 30 degrees from North about 6:40PM. It was bright white head with a nice long tail. It ended in what I would describe as sparklers.

Dec 29 2010, 11:04 AM
Guest876 (guest): Saw a very bright object trailing a tail about 8 inches across my field of vision. this happened about 6:45PM in the Bronx, NY, walking home from work. The object was in the south moving from east to west in a downward angle of about 20-30 degrees and was about 125 degrees up (if straight up is 180 degrees). The tail was a bright white and the head was orange. It 'burst' and then disappeared. all this in a matter of 2-3 seconds

Dec 29 2010, 11:12 AM
Chad44 (guest): I saw a green flame coming from a falling meteorite. I was heading east on Rt.20 in Northborough, Ma just over the Marlborough line at 6:46pm. It was falling towards the north and I have no idea how to judge distance, but it didn't seem far away.I'm guessing it fell in Northborough, West Boylston, or Berlin.Anyone have info or see it from another point to help triangulate it? It was very cool to see, and it got me interested in looking for more info online.

Dec 29 2010, 11:13 AM
Chad44 (guest): it was today, 12-28-2010

Dec 29 2010, 11:17 AM
Chad44 (guest): i just read the other responses, and im guessing it was not as close as i thought-since the time line fits in with this one you have been talking about.

Dec 29 2010, 11:59 AM
Guest323 (guest): I was driving on 495 South by the Acton exit and saw the meteor. The light was very bright, and had a greenish color. It seemed to break-up into 2 or more pieces before dissappearing.It is hard to judge distance, but it did not feel like it was too high.

Dec 29 2010, 12:25 PM
Guest859 (guest):Tonight, 28Dec 2010,sometime around 7pm EST. I was driving north across the 14th St. Bridge in DC when I saw this bright green fireball moving across the sky from the SE to the NW at a slight downward angle, just visible through the top edge of my windshield. It lasted for a few seconds before burning out in a flash. It appeared to break apart with several bright particles fizzling out through its tail. It was low enough I could see an airplane off in the distance behind it...was pretty cool.

Dec 29 2010, 12:58 PMGuest332 (guest):December 28th at 6:53 p.m in Billerica saw Firey ball flash down sw to nw thought it was low enough that I thought it was going to hit earth just beyond the houses

Dec 29 2010, 1:22 PMGuest244 (guest): On December 26, at 1:33 am, I was traveling southbound on I69 around mile marker 78 in Indiana. It looked like a shooting star, but it was a iridescent looking blue-green. It was close- even from the distance that I was away from it, it still looked about an inch or so wide. It lasted for about 8 seconds or so, the faded behind the tree line. It was beautiful, but it didn't look like anything else I have ever seen in my 32 years. It looked like the one in DC, but 2 days earlier.

Dec 29 2010, 2:32 PM
Julie Yu: 12/28 tuesday about 7pm near westbourgh MA rt9 very long tail falling from sky then sparked.

Dec 29 2010, 11:00 PM
Guest676 (guest): 12/28/2010 at 6:47p.m.While driving on Springwoods Drive in Woodbridge,Virginia. A bright flash and blue and yellow tail in the northeastern part of the sky. My mouth fell open. It was spectacular. No need for more of a decsription, as most folks on here got it down. I did have enough bearing to make a wish! Did anyone else? 
Dec 29 2010, 11:02 PM
Guest759 (guest):DEC 28TH 6:45 PM EST PHILADELPHIA PA SAW TWO BLUE FLASHES LOOKED UP AND SAW A VERY LARGE METEOR WITH BRIGHT COLORS AND A LARGE TAIL

Dec 29 2010, 11:43 PM
Guest764 (guest): I saw a fireball on the 28th of dec. around 10:00 Pm in Davenport Iowa. It was headed due north.
Dec 29 2010, 11:46 PM
Guest280 (guest): I saw a lime green tadpole looking thing (meteor?) over just Falmouth, Massachusetts dec 28th 2010 before 7pm. It was large, slow and distinct, an amazing lime green. I was on route 28 near Falmouth lumber heading towards Falmouth Center it was to my right.

Blogspot Blogger Comments

Chad B said...
I saw a green flame coming from a falling meteorite. I was heading east on Rt.20 in Northborough, Ma just over the Marlborough line at 6:46pm. It was falling towards the north and I have no idea how to judge distance, but it didn't seem far away. I'm guessing it fell in Northborough, West Boylston, or Berlin. Anyone have info or see it from another point to help triangulate it? It was very cool to see, and it got me interested in looking for more info online.
--Chad--
10:55 AM






Blogger Diana said...
Yes, I have seen the same green flame at 6:46pm today while driving south on Rt 287 at about the border between New York state and New Jersey. I had never seen such a large meteorite, and of that beautiful color. It has crossed the sky in fron of my car from my upper-left to my lower-right, so since I was driving south it means that the direction was roughly from north-west to south-east.I hope it helps.
Great sight!
Diana
11:56 AM

Blogger Diana said...
Correction: the direction was north-east to south-west
12:07 PM

Meteor/Meteorite News 29DEC2010

Largest single fragment of stony meteorite ever found
People's Daily Online
In 1976, a rare large meteorite shower covering 500 square kilometers appeared in Jilin City. The largest meteorite, weighing 1770 kilograms, ...



Berwyn Mountains “UFO” mystery deepens
Daily Post North Wales
One suggested there was a combination of events, a meteor shower combined with an earthquake – the epicentre of which was at Bala Lake – and misperception ...




Meteorite Hunting Secrets Revealed by 'Meteorite Men' Star
ContributorNetwork via Yahoo! News Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:04 AM PST
This is the third article based on my exclusive interview with Steve Arnold, one of the two co-stars of the Science Channel TV show "Meteorite Men." Read the first, "Meteorite Men Star Clears Up Misconceptions about Meteors", here. The second, "Meteorite Men Star Builds Career from Space Rocks," is here. ...

Boom, flash mystifies Troy on Christmas
The Western News
Steve Sigler, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Missoula, said it is possible Troy witnessed its own personal Christmas meteor...

39th Annual Flagg Gem and Mineral Show
EVLiving
This is also the first year that ASU's Center for Meteorite Studies will participate with a “meteorite dig” activity in which visitors can collect fragments ...

28 December 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 28DEC2010

Viewing the 2011 Quadrantid Meteor Shower | American Meteor Society
Examples of Quadrantid meteors seen looking north near 5am local time on ... He received a sample copy of Meteor News. He was amazed to learn there was a ...
www.amsmeteors.org/.../viewing-the-2011-quadrantid-meteor...



SkyandTelescope.com - Meteors - Meteor Showers in 2011
Sky & Telescope predicts that 2011's best meteor showers should be the Quadrantids in January and — maybe — an unusual outburst by the normally meek ...
www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/.../112475399.ht...


Meteors will light up the winter sky
Astronomy Magazine
By Michael E. Bakich — Published: December 27, 2010 The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks before dawn January 4. There will be no interference from the New ...



Starship Asterisk* • View topic - Meteor Impact
What speed would a 10^9 kg heavy meteor need to have to slow down the rotation of the earth that a day lasts 25 hours? Did the day length on the earth vary ...
bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22299

27 December 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 27DEC2010

Dec 25, 2010 evening fireball - New Mexico

reported by Thomas Ashcraft  |  New Mexico
Nice meteor over eastern New Mexico Dec 25 at 2218 MST evening. (Dec 26, 2010, 0518 UTC).
Interestingly, the slower and sometimes larger the fireball, the less radio scatter reflection it creates. This one made just a subtle "twinkle."
http://www.heliotown.com/FBs20101226_0518ut_Ashcraft.mp4

Team extends Stardust's fuel mileage for comet mission
BY STEPHEN CLARK - SPACEFLIGHT NOW
December 23, 2010
DENVER -- A lean team of Lockheed Martin engineers is taking fuel efficiency to new heights. Flight controllers here are meticulously managing what little fuel is left inside the Stardust spacecraft speeding toward a Valentine's Day rendezvous with Tempel 1, a ball of ice and rock bombarded by a manmade impactor five years ago. NASA and Lockheed Martin officials are confident Stardust has just enough fuel to pull off the flyby, which is scheduled around 11:30 p.m. Eastern time on Feb. 14. ...


Meteor Showers in 2011
Sky & Telescope
by J. Kelly Beatty Spend even an hour under a dark, Moonless sky, and you'll likely catch sight of ameteor as it suddenly and unexpectedly paints a bright ...



Wave at the International Space Station This Week
Patch
There are so many objects up there to catch our attention; the moon, stars, planets and even the occasional meteor. Let me give you another object look for! ...



Discoveries, cosmic events await new decade
Akron Beacon Journal (blog)
The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in the early morning hours of Jan. 3 and 4. Observers may see from 10 to around 60 meteors per hour at maximum. ...



Sparkling silence at last
Nashua Telegraph
Early on during the first month of 2011, we kick off the new year with a regularly pleasing meteorshower. The Quadrantids typically produce around 40 ...




Press Herald
The other highlights for this first month of the year include another meteor shower, Jupiter still gracing our evening sky, and Saturn and Venus adorning ...