Author Topic: 8:00 pm sunday, anyone else see that? (Read 6804 times)

geronimotwo · « **on:** October 23, 2011, 10:03:36 PM »

we were driving home from my parents, heading south from onieda NY, and saw a super bright meteor dead ahead of us. all three (the littleist was sleeping) of us saw it plunging nearly straight down. when i thought to look at the clock it was 8:01pm. i was wondering if it might have been a part of the rosat satelite reentering the atmosphere?

anyone else see it?

Fly320s · « **Reply #1 on:** October 23, 2011, 10:07:51 PM »

Nope, hiding inside.

I thought the satellite fell yesterday.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #2 on:** October 23, 2011, 10:10:44 PM »

Yep, ROSAT went down the day before.

You got lucky and saw a good bolide.

geronimotwo · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2011, 10:21:04 PM »

maybe, it was growing brighter as it neared the horizon. one of those "right place, right time" events.

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2011, 10:25:49 PM »

I spend a good bit of time driving at night in rural areas. I see several every month, sometimes several in a night.

makattak · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2011, 11:33:18 PM »

If I am remembering my limited astronomy, on average, there is one shooting star an hour visible each night.

Devonai · « **Reply #6 on:** October 23, 2011, 11:45:58 PM »

I was actually outside observing Jupiter with my 68x scope at that time tonight in north-central Connecticut. Didn't see the flash, but I did get a good view of Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2011, 12:06:02 AM »

Quote

...with my 68x scope...

How does that work as a spotting scope?

Devonai · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2011, 12:08:02 AM »

Adequately...

gunsmith · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2011, 01:04:54 AM »

I saw two bright long lasting ones Sat night.
The most awesome one ever was in Wyo in the medicine bow nat forest, it was huge & I could hear it!
alas I didn't see where it landed, I hear they can bring a good price.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #10 on:** October 24, 2011, 01:12:32 AM »

Quote

alas I didn't see where it landed, I hear they can bring a good price.

If you see one land, make sure you use oven mitts to pick it up. They're hot.

gunsmith · « **Reply #11 on:** October 24, 2011, 01:19:13 AM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on October 24, 2011, 01:12:32 AM

If you see one land, make sure you use oven mitts to pick it up. They're hot.

also, if you poke it with a stick and a blob comes out of it and eats the stick, let go of the stick

280plus · « **Reply #12 on:** October 24, 2011, 06:58:01 AM »

Quote from: gunsmith on October 24, 2011, 01:19:13 AM

also, if you poke it with a stick and a blob comes out of it and eats the stick, let go of the stick

Always a good policy.

Viking · « **Reply #13 on:** October 24, 2011, 07:05:47 AM »

And if it glows green, play with it. You get awesome super powers

.

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #14 on:** October 24, 2011, 07:53:14 AM »

Quote from: gunsmith on October 24, 2011, 01:19:13 AM

also, if you poke it with a stick and a blob comes out of it and eats the stick, let go of the stick

That's a good policy for just about anything one might want to poke with a stick.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #15 on:** October 24, 2011, 10:18:42 AM »

What if it's a really nice stick?

Brad

Ben · « **Reply #16 on:** October 24, 2011, 10:21:02 AM »

Quote from: Brad Johnson on October 24, 2011, 10:18:42 AM

What if it's a really nice stick?

Brad

Why would you want to use your good stick for unidentified object poking?

K Frame · « **Reply #17 on:** October 24, 2011, 10:27:24 AM »

What?

No "out observing Uranus" jokes?

I'm disappointed.

geronimotwo · « **Reply #18 on:** October 24, 2011, 12:55:51 PM »

Quote from: Viking on October 24, 2011, 07:05:47 AM

And if it glows green, play with it. You get awesome super powers .

and if you see a hillbilly wearing coveralls invite him in for some sugar!

Quote from: Devonai on October 23, 2011, 11:45:58 PM

I was actually outside observing Jupiter with my 68x scope at that time tonight in north-central Connecticut. Didn't see the flash, but I did get a good view of Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.

it was a beautiful clear night here as well. i am wondering how far away it hit, and keep hoping to see some report on it.

KD5NRH · « **Reply #19 on:** October 24, 2011, 01:19:12 PM »

Quote from: AJ Dual on October 23, 2011, 10:10:44 PM

Yep, ROSAT went down the day before.

You got lucky and saw a good bolide.

There's a lot of random crap that may someday reenter but isn't big enough to bother tracking.

Check out the list of just brighter than mag 4.5 visible passes, and how much of that is intact rocket bodies. It stands to reason that there are probably some loose panels and other junk in unstable orbits. I often wonder how many of the odd-direction meteors I see are actually small man-made junk reentering.

FWIW, the Android app for HA is really fun on clear nights. Iridium flares at mag -6 or brighter are downright stunning when you're in a dark enough place long enough to easily observe mag 6 unaided.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #20 on:** October 24, 2011, 02:44:11 PM »

Quote from: Ben on October 24, 2011, 10:21:02 AM

Why would you want to use your good stick for unidentified object poking?

Depends on the object.

Brad

MrsSmith · « **Reply #21 on:** October 24, 2011, 08:54:18 PM »

Ah, now here's the APS humor I love and have missed lately. 'Bout time.

280plus · « **Reply #22 on:** October 24, 2011, 09:56:52 PM »

There's nothing funny about losing your good stick to a blob.

MrsSmith · « **Reply #23 on:** October 25, 2011, 12:25:59 PM »

Depends. If you're the blob, I'd think it would be pretty funny. If you're the stick, not so much. If you're the owner of the stick, not so much. If you're standing by watching this whole episode, riotously funny.

geronimotwo · « **Reply #24 on:** October 25, 2011, 01:19:45 PM »

so now we are using the stick stir up civil unrest?

News:

Author Topic: 8:00 pm sunday, anyone else see that? (Read 6804 times)