Taurids

[ElPelado]

Two nights before, just before i went to sleep, i look trough my windows, in the direction of the Ursa Mayor and i saw a "falling star". Because of its direction, i think that its a part of the taurids. I read that the taurids will be on the 4th, but does any body know when will be the highest moment?(i mean, when there are more falling stars)

Yesterday i also look trough my windows, but this time i was looking at Gemminis/Cancer and i saw a very very brillian falling star, but it doesnt get out from Taurus, so it may have been casual. but it wa so bright that i could also for some seconds the smoke it left behind, very impresive i have never seen one so brilliant.

[Tech Sgt. Chen]

You are quite fortunate! It sounds like you've witnessed a spectacle that very few can claim party to. One of the more fortunate aspects of my work include many years of nightshifts where I begin my tour at sunset and complete it at sunrise. Through those years I've seen many meteorites challenge the friction of Earth's atmosphere. The greatest majority of meteorite flashes last a fraction of a second. A lesser number may last up to several seconds where actual pieces of the meteor appear to break off. I've been fortunate enough to witness a few of these in the green, the blue and the orange spectrum. My most prized meteoric memory however, was so spectacular that I was initially frightened by it.
The best part was that I observed 7 seconds of it AFTER IT CAME INTO MY FIELD OF VIEW(or "sphere of influence" as we say in my line of work)!!! It stretched from horizon to horizon and appeared to move at the speed of a fast jet at high altitude! It's color was brilliant orange with a pale orange contrail that only began to fade upon it reaching the destination horizon. It's course (without a compass) appeared to originate from the south and run parallel to the Earth's curvature until disappearing in the approximate due north! Whew!!! What a sight that was!

Yes, you are now a member of a fortunate and elite club that few can claim membership to. Good Show!

[Tech Sgt. Chen]

ElPelado Wrote:

I read that the taurids will be on the 4th, but does any body know when will be the highest moment?(i mean, when there are more falling stars)

Actually ElPel, I believe tonight is the peak night. Nov. 7th.

[ElPelado]

its very cloudy in here today....

[don]

Howdy ElPalado,

... i saw a "falling star". Because of its direction, i think that its a part of the taurids.

Not sure about the Taurids, but you are indeed lucky! Not one, but TWO! Congratulations!

Here are a couple of frames grabbed from a video I shot of the Leonids meteor shower in 2002...





-Don G.

[Tech Sgt. Chen]

Wow Don, that's video tape!? Not bad!

I recently did a little investigating to try and place the sighting I had into it's proper time frame.
I now am certain that the meteor I observed was the Peekskill, NY meteor of 1991. It actually ended up striking a parked vehicle there!

[don]

Howdy Tech Sgt. Chen,

:o Wow Don, that's video tape!?

Yes, it was taken with a Sony DCR-TRV10 HandiCam (circa 2000 I think) that has "Nightshot" capabilities. The Nightshot function uses a built-in IR (Infrared) sensor, and the exposure time (per frame) is upped to something like 250 ms (1/4 second) I think. I had about 6 hours of tripod video from the Persids shower last year, and put together a short clip of 12 or 14 of the best ones which then got posted on SpaceWeather.com. But none of it was as spectacular as watching it with our own eyes.

I now am certain that the meteor I observed was the Peekskill, NY meteor of 1991. It actually ended up striking a parked vehicle there!

OUCH! Better a vehicle than a house or person I suppose.

-Don G.

[Tech Sgt. Chen]

Nice Cam don,

Now if only someone could find a way to render meteor showers in Celestia.

If my memory serves me well, the vehicle in NY that was struck by the meteor was some beat up, early model owned by a young woman. The meteor ripped through her vehicle's trunk causing a hole approximately 2 feet in diameter. It was parked in her driveway I believe. Anyway, she recovered the meteor, somehow the local media picked up on the story and she quickly became the recipient of a check for $60,000.00 from a Museum that purchased the meteor from her. When asked what she was to do with the new found money, she said her first prioity was to purchase a new car.
With my luck, if that had happened to me; the meteor would have struck the driver compartment of my car shortly after I returned to the vehicle from the store where I purchased the winning $1,000,000.00 lottery ticket!

[don]

Thanks Tech Sgt. Chen.

Sounds like that person was quite lucky indeed, and blessed too! Have a meteor miss you and get paid 60 grand. Not bad!

I hear ya, about the luck thing. Sometimes it seems like if it wasn't for bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all. But most days are middle of the road, which is much better than being hit by a meteor and getting burned to a crisp!

-Don G.

[Harry]

If my memory serves me well, the vehicle in NY that was struck by the meteor was some beat up, early model owned by a young woman. The meteor ripped through her vehicle's trunk causing a hole approximately 2 feet in diameter.

I believe I saw that car (must have been it, or there must be two cars that were hit by a meteorite ) in a musuem here (Bonn, Germany), where it was on exhibition temporarily. AFAIR the hole itself wasn't that big, but of course the metal surrounding it was in a pretty bad shape (literally).

Harald

[granthutchison]

Here is a picture of the car.

Grant

[Harry]

Here is a picture of the car.

Yes, that's it. Looks like it still could drive, though I wouldn't want to have to explain a policeman why the lights don't work anymore

[Star Lion]

this might be a grate adition to celestia!
wach the meatior fly in, and SLAM into a parcked car!

[don]

Here is a picture of the car.

WOAH!

It looks like it went clear THROUGH the car, and made a slight impact crater in the ground under the trunk! Amazing. Thanks Grant.

Can you imagine calling your insurance company and saying, "My car was hit by a meteorite."?

-Don G.

[billybob884]

It's amazing that the back window didn't shatter.