28 November 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 27/28NOV2010

ELP:  Meteor News...Saint Cloud Florida Fireball 11/25/10
By El Paso AllSky Camera
This blog is for the discussion of primarily West Texas, Southern and Central New Mexico, Eastern Arizona and Northern and Northwestern Mexico meteor/ite events. Significant USA, as well as Major event news will be ...


Meteor Activity Outlook for November 27-December 3, 2010 « The ...
By Carl Hergenrother
The Meteor Activity Outlook is a weekly summary of expected meteor activity written by Robert Lunsford, Operations Manager of the American Meteor Society and contributor to this blog. The original unedited version of this week's Meteor ...


Backyard Astronomer: Meteor showers are plentiful in December
Sierra Vista Herald
By Neal Galt The first half of December is highlighted by no less than six different predictable meteorshowers. Five of the showers would be considered ...


Jet, space junk, or UFO?
MyFox Tampa Bay
The callers believed the object may have been a meteor or other object entering Earth's atmosphere. Photos sent by one viewer showed the bright object with ...




3 min video
Nevadameteorites Brix training to recover meteorites Part 2
youtube.com


Meteor Activity Outlook for November 27-December 3, 2010
by Robert Lunsford - American Meteor Society
No matter where you live, the first half of December provides some of the best meteor activity of the year. In the northern hemisphere the sporadic rates are still strong plus you can also count on strong activity from the Geminids, which peak on December 14. There are also several minor radiants that add a few meteors each hour. All of these centers of activity are located high in the sky during the early morning hours this time of year. Much of the activity mentioned above can also be seen from the southern hemisphere. While the sporadic rates are not as strong as those seen from the north, they are stronger than the previous months and heading for a maximum in January. The warm, but short summer nights south of the equator make for some great viewing as long as the moon does not interfere. 

During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Saturday November 27th. At this time the moon lies ninety degrees west of the sun and rises near midnight LST (Local Standard Time). Thus morning observers will have moonlight to contend with this weekend. Successful observations can still be undertaken as long as the moon is kept out of your field of view. The light of the last quarter moon is much less intense than that of a full moon and many meteors can still be seen, especially under transparent skies. As the week progresses the waning crescent moon becomes less of a problem as it grows dimmer and rises later and later during the early morning hours. The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this week is near five from the northern hemisphere and three for observers south of the equator. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near fifteen from the northern hemisphere and thirteen as seen from the southern hemisphere. The actual rates will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness and experience in watching meteor activity. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight. 

The radiant (the area of the sky where meteors appear to shoot from) positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning November 27/28. These positions do not change greatly day to day so the listed coordinates may be used during this entire period. Most star atlases (available at science stores and planetariums) will provide maps with grid lines of the celestial coordinates so that you may find out exactly where these positions are located in the sky. A planisphere or computer planetarium program is also useful in showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year. Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky, either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen at the radiant position. Rather they shoot outwards from the radiant so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies at the edge and not the center. Viewing there will allow you to easily trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it is a shower member) or in another direction if it is a sporadic. Meteor activity is not seen from radiants that are located below the horizon. The positions below are listed in a west to east manner in order of right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located further west therefore are accessible earlier in the night while those listed further down the list rise later in the night. 

The following showers are expected to be active this week: 

The December Phoenicids (PHO) are a periodic shower that rarely produces noticeable activity. The only impressive display produced by this shower occurred in 1956 when ZHR's were near 100. Peak activity occurs on December 6. Little activity is expected away from the peak night. The radiant is currently located at 00:50 (012) -52. This position lies in central Phoenix some ten degrees southeast of the second magnitude star Ankaa (Alpha Phoenicis). These meteors are best seen near 2100 (9pm) LST, when the radiant lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. Due to the southerly declination of the radiant, this shower is not visible north of the northern tropical areas. The deep southern hemisphere has the best chance of seeing any activity. At 22 km/sec. the Phoenicids produce very slow meteors. 

Sirko Molau and Juergen Rendtel's studies of video radiants has revealed that activity from the famous Andromedid shower, noted for intense storms during the 19th century, may still be seen throughout November. This week is your last chance to see them for 2010. The current position of the large radiant is 01:44 (026) +45. This position lies in eastern Andromeda, three degrees south of the fourth magnitude star 51 Andromedae. Visual activity is expected to be low, but detectable. An inconspicuous maximum occurred on November 12. The Andromedid meteors are best seen near 2200 (10pm) LST when the radiant lies on the meridian. At 19km/sec., the average Andromedid will appear as a very slow moving meteor. Sirko mentions that these meteors are "conspicuously slow and of almost constant activity" during this month. 

The center of the large Northern Taurid (NTA) radiant lies at 04:49 (072) +25. This area of the sky is located in central Taurus, eight degrees north of the orange first magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri). These meteors are best seen near 0100 LST, when the radiant lies highest above the horizon. This shower peaked on November 13, so rates are falling should be near two per hour. Meteors from the Northern Taurids strike the atmosphere at 29km/sec., which would produce meteors of slow velocity. This shower is also responsible for many of the fireball reports seen in November. 

The November Orionids (NOO) were recently discovered by analyzing video data. For years it was lost in the maze of radiants active this time of year. Due to the low activity, visual observers were unable to detect this shower. This shower is active from November 18 through December 9. Maximum activity occurs on November 30. Once you know the radiant in advance, this shower is actually quite noticeable, producing an average of two shower members per hour near maximum. The radiant is currently located at 05:58 (090) +15. This position lies in northeastern Orion, seven degrees north of the orange first magnitude star Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis). These meteors are best seen near 0200 LST when the radiant lies on the meridian and highest above the horizon. At 44 km/sec. the November Orionids produce mostly medium velocity meteors. 

The Puppid-Velids (PUP) are a vast complex of weak radiants located in the constellations of Puppis and Vela. Visual plots and photographic studies have revealed many radiants in this area during November and December. The combined strength of these radiants can produce a ZHR of ten. Actual hourly rates will be much less unless you happen to be observing from the deep Southern Hemisphere. The center of this activity is currently located at 07:52 (118) -45. This position lies in eastern Puppis, four degrees northwest of the second magnitude star Gamma Velorum. Peak rates occur near December 7. These meteors are best seen near 0300 LST when the radiant lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. Observers located in the Southern Hemisphere have an advantage viewing this shower as the radiant will rise higher into their sky allowing more activity to be seen. At 40 km/sec. the Puppid-Velids produce meteors of average velocity. 

Another shower verified by video means are the Psi Ursa Majorids (PSU). This shower is active from November 29-December 13 with maximum activity occurring on December 5. The radiant is currently located at 10:38 (159) +45. This position lies in southwestern Ursa Major, five degrees west of the third magnitude star Kappa Ursae Majoris. This area of the sky is best placed during the last hour before dawn, when it lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. Current rates would most likely be less than one per hour. At 61km/sec., the average Psi Ursa Majorid meteor would be swift. 

This week is your last chance to see the Leonids (LEO) for 2010. This shower peaked on the Thursday morning November 18 and current rates are well below one per hour no matter your location. The radiant is located at 10:41 (160) +19. This position lies in central Leo, four degrees east of the second magnitude star Algeiba (Gamma Leonis). The area of the sky does not clear the eastern horizon until the late evening hours so no Leonid activity can be seen during the early evening hours. These meteors are best seen during the last hour before the onset of morning twilight, when the radiant lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. At 71km/sec., the average Leonid is swift with a high percentage of trains. 

Another shower verified by video means are the December Kappa Draconids (KDR). This shower is active from November 30-December 6 with maximum activity occurring on December 3. Activity from this source is not expected this weekend. On the night of maximum the radiant will be located at 12:22 (185) +72. This position lies in extreme western Draco, two degrees northwest of the faint star Kappa Draconis. While the radiant lies above the horizon all night for most of the northern hemisphere, it is best placed during the last hour before dawn, when it lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. Current rates would most likely be less than one per hour. At 43km/sec., the average December Kappa Draconid meteor would be of medium velocity. 

As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45N) one would expect to see approximately ten sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn as seen from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near four per hour. As seen from the mid-southern hemisphere (45S), morning rates would be near five per hour as seen from rural observing sites and two per hour during the evening hours. Locations between these two extremes would see activity between the listed figures. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight. 

The list below presents a condensed version of the expected activity this week. Rates and positions are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning. 

December Phoenicids (PHO) Dec 06 00:50 (012) -52 18 21:00 <1 - <1 III 
Andromedids (AND) Nov 12 01:44 (026) +45 19 22:00 <1 - <1 IV 
Northern Taurids (NTA) Nov 13 04:49 (072) +25 29 01:00 2 - 2 II 
November Orionids (NOO) Nov 30 05:58 (090) +15 44 04:00 2 - 2 II 
Puppid-Velids (PUP) Dec 07 07:52 (118) -45 40 06:00 <1 - 2 II 
Psi Ursa Majorids (PSU) Dec 05 10:38 (1) +4595 61 07:00 <1 - <1 IV 
Leonids (LEO) Nov 18 10:41 (160) +19 71 07:00 <1 - <1 I 
December Kappa Draconids (KDR) Dec 03 12:22 (185) +72 43 09:00 <1 - <1 IV 

December Phoenicids (PHO) - 00:50 (012) -5   Velocity - 18km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - <1 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - <1 per hr

Andromedids (AND) - 01:44 (026) +45   Velocity - 19km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - <1 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - <1 per hr

Northern Taurids (NTA) - 04:49 (072) +25   Velocity - 29km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - 2 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - 2 per hr.

November Orionids (NOO) - 05:58 (090) +15   Velocity - 44km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - 2 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - 2 per hr

Puppid-Velids (PUP) - 07:52 (118) -45   Velocity - 40km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - <1 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - 2 per hr

Psi Ursa Majorids (PSU) - 10:38 (159) +45   Velocity - 61km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - >1 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - >1 per hr

Leonids (LEO) - 10:41 (160) +19   Velocity - 71km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - >1 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - >1 per hr

December Kappa Draconids (KDR) - 12:22 (185) +72   Velocity - 43km/sec.
Northern Hemisphere - >1 per hr. Southern Hemisphere - >1 per hr

*For a detailed explanation on the different classes of meteor showers and other astronomical terms, please visit: http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html#X2010



Clear Skies!
Robert Lunsford 
American Meteor Society





26 November 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 26NOV2010

From readers of Meteor/Meteorite News:
ajc020786: At approx 5:30 pm on 11/25/10 I seen a ball of fire that appeared to be falling out of the sky. I was in Saint Cloud, FL.
Guest294 (guest): 6:50 pm meteor fireball across north east sky near North Platte, Nebraska
Guest43 (guest)I saw a falling star in n indiana 01:30 11-26 any reports?  // please do email me.
Guest807 (guest)Saw same falling star as Guest 43 I'm guessing...
2:30 A.M.on 11/26 in the eastern sky. We are in central Illinois.


If you saw a meteor go to the AMS site a make a formal report http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/report.html


Extremophiles Bakterium könnte auf dem Mars Millionen Jahre überdauern

grenzwissenschaft-aktuell.de (Blog) - ‎2010年11月25日‎
... außerirdischer Herkunft handelt, das einst selbst huckepack mit Asteroiden, Meteoriten und Kometen die Erde befruchtet haben könnte (...wir berichteten)

Meteorite man rocks the library in Tillamook
Coast Weekend
TILLAMOOK - Renowned scientist, author and lecturer Dick Pugh will exhibit and share information about more than $15000 worth of meteorites at the Tillamook ...

Mifflin Meteorite gets permanent home at UW museum
Chicago Tribune
AP Fragments of the meteorite that brightened the skies of Wisconsin and parts of Iowa on April 14 have become part of the permanent collection of the ...


Wis. Meteorite Fragments Now in Permanent Collection
WDIO Duluth Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:32 PM PST
Fragments of the meteorite that brightened the skies of

Wisconsin and parts of Iowa on April 14 have become part
of the permanent collection of the University of Wisconsin-
Madison's Geology Museum. ...


Midwest meteorite from April now on display
KWWL Iowa Thu, 25 Nov 2010 06:19 AM PST
Part of a meteorite which brightened the skies of 

northeast Iowa in April will now be on display at a Wisconsin
museum. ...

Mifflin Meteorite gets permanent home at UW museum
KWQC-TV 6 Davenport Thu, 25 Nov 2010 02:19 AM PST
Associated Press - November 25, 2010 5:04 AM ET

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -Fragments of the meteorite that
brightened the skies of Wisconsin and parts of Iowa on
April 14 have become part of the...


Meteorite fragments end up in Wisconsin museum
WEAU-TV 13
The comment sections of our web set are designed for

 thoughtful, intelligent conversation and debate. We want
 to hear from our viewers but we are not ...

25 November 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 25NOV2010

Mojave Rattlesnake, Crotalus scutulatus, seen in Nevada and found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and central Mexico.. Use caution while hunting for meteorites!  (c) Count Guido Diero 2010
Readers write:
Guest117 (guest):Just saw a very colorful fireball in the sky @ 5:45 am in Northern California.
Guest975 (guest):fireball over the sky of Romania seen in Sibiu at 20:57.tonight! any info about it?

December meteor shower, lunar eclipse, Jupiter views
Arizona Republic
One of the strongest and most reliable annual meteor showers takes place in mid-December. Astronomers expect the peak of the Geminid meteor shower to occur ...



Northern Rockies Skies for December
University of Wyoming News
The Geminid meteor showers, peaking on Dec. 13-14, could provide midnight watchers with one of the most spectacular showers this season, with up to 100 ...



Meteorite fragments go on display at UW-Madison's geology museum
Wisconsin State Journal
Among the pieces of the Mifflin Meteorite on display at the UW-Madison Geology Museum is this oriented nose-cone. It gained its shape from its entry into ...




FIREBALLS web site online

Bill Cooke- NASA
After resolving some technical issues and mucho battles with the bureaucracy, I have finally managed to establish a public web presence which displays observations made by the NASA all sky cameras. It should update automatically by 9 AM Central time each day. Simply click on the date, and it will display the information for the events - if any - recorded by the system for that UT day. November 15 is an anomaly, displaying results for multiple days (a result of the manual debugging process). ...The url is http://fireballs.ndc.nasa.gov 
A rough description of the available information is at http://fireballs.ndc.nasa.gov/helpme.html

NASA Spacecraft Burns for Another Comet Flyby
PASADENA, Calif. -- Eighty-six days out from its appointment with a comet, NASA's Stardust spacecraft fired its thrusters to help refine its flight path. The Stardust-NExT mission will fly past comet Tempel 1 next Valentine's Day (Feb. 14, 2011). It will perform NASA's second 
comet flyby within four months. "One comet down, one to go," said Tim Larson, project manager for both the Stardust-NExT mission and the EPOXI mission -- which successfully flew past comet Hartley 2 on Nov. 4. ...



Nov 23, 2010 - Possible Andromedid fireball ?
Thomas Ashcraft- Nov 23, 2010
I captured a fireball last evening and am wondering if it might be an Andromedid? I made a movie and inserted a sky map with constellations. Perhaps this meteor may be too fast to be an AND ?
2 MB .mp4 video with sound:
http://www.heliotown.com/FBs20101123_042547ut_and_Ashcraft.mp4


Life found in the deepest layers of Earth's Crust

The “life is persistent” argument is often used to bolster the idea that life exists elsewhere in the universe. While that remains to be seen, the notion certainly keeps proving true here on the home planet. Scientists have found life thriving in near superheated ocean vents, in inhospitable parts of Antarctica, and in the depths of subterranean oil reservoirs. Now, a drilling expedition to the deepest layer of the Earth’s crust has found life there as well, and the evidence suggests there could be more life even deeper. ...
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-11/seafloor-drilling-expedition-finds-life-deepest-layer-earths-crust



Meteor falling video on YouTube
43 sec
meteor falling in Salem VA on nov. 19 2010 about 10:30 pm never seen one with my own eyes like this one looks like it cane ... (unsure if a meteor or not)


24 November 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 24NOV2010

Readers write:
Guest357 (guest):17NOV2010 Charlotte NC approx 5:25am very low SSE saw bright object long duration (5sec)slight w-e motion would have suspected aircraft but too close to horizon and disappeared without dimming.
Guest890 (guest):Just seen a fireball in the sky 5.45pm over Sligo, Ireland
Guest783 (guest):anyone have any info on the chacora meteorite
Guest115 (guest):Just seen a colourful fireball over east London, has anyone else seen it?


UW Releases New Details Follow Spring Meteor Shower
WISC-TV Madison Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:54 PM PST
The meteorite that lit up the skies over southwest Wisconsin last spring has been officially dubbed the "Mifflin Meteorite" because it landed near Mifflin Township, and several of its pieces are now part of the permanent collection of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Geology Museum....


Mifflin Meteorite finds permanent home in Geology Museum
University of Wisconsin - Madison Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:55 AM PST
The meteorite that lit up the skies over southwest Wisconsin this spring has been officially dubbed the "Mifflin Meteorite," and several of its pieces are now part of the permanent collection of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Geology Museum....

Wonderland in space: the Leonids meteor shower
Varsity
This characteristic is associated with the moon's constant release of sodium gas, most easily observed when it is experiencing marvellous meteor bombardment ...


10 Free IPhone Apps for Spectacular Stargazing
PC World
By Michael Cooney, NetworkWorld There's a lot to watch in the nighttime sky -- everything from the International Space Station and meteor showers to planets ...
   

The Sun Steals Comets from Other Stars
NASA Science News
Nov. 23, 2010:  The next time you thrill at the sight of a comet blazing across the night sky, consider this: it's a stolen pleasure. You're enjoying the spectacle at the expense of a distant star. Sophisticated computer simulations run by researchers at the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) have exposed the crime. ...

23 November 2010

Louisiana Impact Crater Meteor/Meteorite News

Heart of Louisiana: La's meteor strike video
by David McNamara
Dr. Paul Heinrich from LSU has found the remains of a large crater that experts believe was caused by a long-ago meteor impact... SEE Video Video
fox8live.com


Other Meteor/Meteorite News:

Great balls of fire?
South Shore Now
"We checked through JRCC and there's no aircraft anywhere in the area, there's no radar contacts of any kind and it was at the height of the meteor shower," ...



University Heights students experience Mission Meteorite at UWO
London Free Press
Grade 6 student Grace Bowman 11 tries her hand at chocolate chip cookie asteroid mining during an outreach program called Mission Meteorite in the ... (It`s Canada!)




22 November 2010

Meteor/Meteorite News 22NOV2010

Collectors and investors can pay up to 4,500 Euros per gram of extract ...

El Periódico de Catalunya - 3时间前
The most expensive is the moon from flying debris when you drop a meteorite on the surface, as well as fragments of Mars. ... (original story in Spanish)

NORTH Journal - 2010年11月10日
"Mesón de Fierro" supposed to be the meteorite main rain referred Vallester which were discovered about 30 craters with their ... (original story in Spanish)


陨石零距离接触的山西猎人(图)


山西新闻网 - Nov 11, 2010
9月22日,本报刊发了特稿《“北京火流星”陨落浑源之后》,许多读者给编辑部来电,希望结识山西境内的陨石猎人们。与此同时,也有山西籍的陨石猎人致电本报,希望将自己 ... (Original story in Chinese... Up close with the meteorite hunter, Shanxi)
September 22, this newspaper published a feature articles, "" Beijing fireball "after the fall of Hunyuan," many readers to the editorial calls, hoping to get to know the meteorite hunters in Shanxi Province. At the same time, there are meteorite hunters Shanxi membership call the newspaper, hoping to own "Starchaser" experience made public: to give and not directly proportional to trace the meteorites to be cautious. ...


地球の尊さ感じて 琵琶湖博物館で14日に天体イベント

中日新聞 - Nov 12, 2010
県内最大といわれる隕石(いんせき)(同天究館所蔵、直径約20センチ、重 ... 北米アリゾナ州北部の砂漠地帯で、数万年前に落下した隕石の跡「アリゾナ隕石 ... (original story in Japanese...meteorite exhibit in Shiga, Japan, Nov 2010)