Meteor Fireball Sighted Over Edmonton, Canada

  • Thread starter russ_watters
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In summary: It was pretty impressive, I looked it up on youtube and it was pretty bright.Apparently it was pretty large, being about the size of a house, and it caused a pretty good dent in the ground where it landed. Definitely something to watch out for if you're in the area!In summary, a bright meteor fireball was seen over Edmonton a few nights ago. It was caught on a police dashboard camera and was very impressive. Some fragments have been found and it was very impressive.
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  • #3
very interesting
 
  • #4
I got a pretty good look at it...It was amazing!...I've never seen a tool kit explode like that before!:bugeye:
 
  • #5
Have any fragments been found?
 
  • #6
That was impressive. I saw what I thought was quite a large one about a week ago. It glowed green but it certainly didn't light the place up.
 
  • #7
That's the one I have mentioned during chat.
 
  • #8
Borek said:
That's the one I have mentioned during chat.

I guessed :biggrin:
 
  • #9
In Madrid, Spain, three years ago I saw one of this when I was driving to home with some friends in the night. It was shocking, I never thougt I could see one of them during my live
 
  • #10
I have seen something similar somewhere in mid-nineties over north Poland, but it wasn't completely dark yet and meteor was far and high, so not that bright.
 
  • #11
LURCH said:
Have any fragments been found?

It would certainly seem that there would be an impact point given the illumination all the way to the ground.
 
  • #12
"The Edmonton Sun reports that fragments may have landed in central Saskatchewan. Scientists have begun searching and reviewing footage from Web cams"
Philosphically - if a rock falls in central Saskatchewan does anyone care?
 
  • #13
mgb_phys said:
Philosphically - if a rock falls in central Saskatchewan does anyone care?

Depends on the size of the rock that lands...:biggrin:

Most impressive, must have made quite a dent where it landed. Any idea how big it mnust have been - must be quite large to get so bright and survive the journey through thge atmosphere?

TFM
 
  • #14
TFM said:
Most impressive, must have made quite a dent where it landed. Any idea how big it mnust have been - must be quite large to get so bright and survive the journey through thge atmosphere?
Not an expert but I think they can appear brighter if they break up into pieces but stay on the same course. Your eye registers the size * brightness of a cluster of unresolved points.
 
  • #15
Just saw a news update and the still haven't foudn any fragments. They are asking owners of local service stations, and other places that have serveilance cameras, to keep there tapes. They hope to use the different angles to triangulate a probable location for the debris field. Add to that the fact that th erock appeared to be flaming on the way down, and there was some snow on the ground that night (which would leave large indentations), they should be able to find some bits pretty quick. There will certainly be pelnty of people searching; those frags can be worth a lot of money.
 
  • #16
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/november2008/meteorite

Interesting article over at the University of Calgary. It seems to have been about 10t when it 1st hit the atmosphere. They are looking for pieces the size of a football.
 
  • #17
Just saw it on the news a couple days ago (my 'puter crashed and I just got back online today); they have found the debris field and retieved several frags already.
 

FAQ: Meteor Fireball Sighted Over Edmonton, Canada

1. What is a meteor fireball?

A meteor fireball is a bright, flaming meteor that enters Earth's atmosphere. It is caused by a large, fast-moving space rock or debris from a comet or asteroid entering Earth's atmosphere and creating friction with the air, which causes it to heat up and produce a bright trail of light in the sky.

2. How common are meteor fireballs?

Meteor fireballs are relatively common, with thousands of them entering Earth's atmosphere every day. However, most of them occur over the ocean or uninhabited areas, so it is not often that one is seen over a populated area like Edmonton, Canada.

3. What causes a meteor fireball to be seen over a specific location?

The location of a meteor fireball sighting is determined by the angle of entry into Earth's atmosphere, as well as the size and speed of the object. If the angle is shallow and the object is large and fast-moving, it will likely be seen over a larger area and for a longer period of time.

4. How do scientists track and study meteor fireballs?

Scientists use a combination of ground-based and space-based instruments to track and study meteor fireballs. These include cameras, radar systems, and satellites. They also use data from eyewitness accounts and recover fragments of the meteor if it lands on Earth.

5. Are meteor fireballs dangerous?

Most meteor fireballs are not dangerous as they burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground. However, larger ones can potentially cause damage if they explode in the air or impact the ground. Scientists continuously monitor and track potentially hazardous objects in space to mitigate any potential threats.

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