Is the Object in This Video a Small Asteroid or Comet Impacting Earth's Atmosphere?

In summary, a video on Google shows an anomaly in one clip, appearing as a bright light approaching a stationary wireframe view of Earth. There is no clear indication of what the video is showing and it is difficult to determine the size or potential impact of the object. Some speculate it could be a UFO, but it is more likely a speck of dust or other small object. The video may have been down at one point but is now accessible.
  • #1
Orion1
973
3

Is this a video of a small asteroid or comet impacting Earth's atmosphere?

Exactly what kind of scientific data is being displayed in this video?


Reference:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9105627519592040246
 
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  • #2
All I get is "error on page".
 
  • #3
It works for me. There are several clips stuck together, but it doesn't say what we are looking at. I only see an anomaly in one and it is a false-color image of Earth with a bright light coming toward it. It is impossible to tell even what the video shows beyond that it is a stationary wireframe view of Earth from far above (thousands of miles) at high latitude, with one side (presumably in the sun) washed out white and the other side black. As this spot moves towards the earth, the Earth rotates quite a bit, so whatever it is, it would be moving pretty slow. Perhaps it is a simulation of something, but it doesn't look like much of anything to me.
 
  • #4
I can view it now, it must have been down earlier.

The size of the object in the supposed UC Berkely clip is HUGE, it's so obviously faked.
 
  • #5
I got the video once, but now all I get is "error on page". As to the specific question asked: "What kind of scientific data is being displayed?", Actually, I have no idea, and that's my answer to your question.

But that won't stop me from relating my impression of what I saw. There was a cresent shaped bright light with a superimposed grid and outlines of Earthly continents broadly suggesting that the crecent was in fact the Earth. I saw an object moving toward the crecent that in outline looked like the shell from a b-movie version of Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon". Without any parallax information, I couldn't say whether the object was the size of a pencil erasor or the Moon, nor whether the object interacted with the Earth.

The rest of the page was about UFO's so I suppose there was an implication that this Verny object was a UFO (from my personal point of view, that's exactly what it was), not a comet or asteroid. And as Russ pointed out, it was going rather slow. I can't say that it rules them out, but I think it makes them rather unlikely. No matter what it was, if the scale of the object in the image was the same as the scale of the Earth, and if it hit the Earth's atmosphere at the speed indicated, I think the blast would have created effects that no one could fail to notice. Having failed to notice them myself, I'm ruling it out. Anything at your end?
 
  • #6
Evo said:
I can view it now, it must have been down earlier.

The size of the object in the supposed UC Berkely clip is HUGE, it's so obviously faked.
I browsed through a number of the videos there. The ones of similar objects are typically pure light, meaning they just wash out a lot of pixels and you can't see the object itself. They have no size that can be measured even in pixels. In quite a lot of cases, they are specks of dust that fly past the camera (a number of these are space shuttle videos), extremely bright and out of focus.
 
  • #7
russ_watters said:
I browsed through a number of the videos there. The ones of similar objects are typically pure light, meaning they just wash out a lot of pixels and you can't see the object itself. They have no size that can be measured even in pixels. In quite a lot of cases, they are specks of dust that fly past the camera (a number of these are space shuttle videos), extremely bright and out of focus.
That makes sense, I only looked for a second
 

1. What is the difference between an asteroid and a comet?

An asteroid is a small, rocky object that orbits the sun, while a comet is a small, icy object that also orbits the sun. Asteroids are usually found in the inner solar system, while comets are typically found in the outer solar system.

2. How do we determine if an object is an asteroid or a comet?

Scientists use a variety of methods to determine if an object is an asteroid or a comet. One way is by studying its orbit and composition. Comets have highly elliptical orbits and are composed of ice, dust, and rock, while asteroids have more circular orbits and are composed of mostly rock and metal.

3. Can an asteroid become a comet or vice versa?

It is possible for an asteroid to become a comet if it gets close enough to the sun and its ice begins to melt, creating a tail. However, the reverse is not possible as comets do not have enough mass to become asteroids.

4. Are asteroids and comets dangerous to Earth?

Both asteroids and comets have the potential to be dangerous to Earth if they collide with our planet. However, the likelihood of this happening is very low and scientists actively track and study these objects to predict and prevent any potential impacts.

5. How do we know if an asteroid or comet is heading towards Earth?

Scientists use telescopes and other instruments to track the orbits of asteroids and comets. By studying their trajectories, they can determine if any of these objects are on a collision course with Earth and take appropriate measures to prevent any potential impact.

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