Meteorites fall in lower Great Lakes Region

[Thunderbolt]

From the National Weather Service:

ON ASIDE...RECEIVED REPORTS OF METEORITES MAKING IMPACT ACROSS
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN...FROM WINNEBAGO COUNTY (THANKS GRB) TO THE
JANESVILLE...MADISON AND DARIEN AREAS. ALSO REPORTS FARTHER WEST
AND SOUTH IN CENTRAL IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS. SOME VISUAL
REPORTS OF METEORITES MAKING IMPACT IN DANE AND ROCK COUNTIES.
SHERIFFS INVESTIGATING ATTM.

HAVE HAD A FEW REPORTS IN THE LAST HOUR OR TWO OF METEORITE ACTIVITY
IN THE AREA. REPORTS HAVE ALSO BEEN COMING IN FROM WISCONSIN...THE
REMAINDER OF ILLINOIS AND IOWA...MISSOURI AND INDIANA SO THE
PHENOMENA IS NOT ISOLATED. SOME OF THESE REPORTS HAVE INCLUDED
METEORITE IMPACTS...WHICH ARE STILL BEING INVESTIGATED.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
830 PM CST SUN FEB 4 2007

SEVERAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OF A FLASH OR STREAK OF LIGHT IN
THE SKY JUST BEFORE 8 PM. THESE REPORTS HAVE BEEN SPREAD OUT OVER A
LARGE AREA...COMING FROM ILLINOIS...IOWA...AND WISCONSIN AT LEAST.

IT IS LIKELY THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY EITHER A METEOR OR A PIECE OF
SPACE JUNK ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE...BURNING UP IN THE PROCESS. WHILE
NO MAJOR METEOR SHOWER IS IN PROGRESS...STRAY METEORS OCCASIONALLY DO
ENTER THE EARTHS ATMOSPHERE...CAUSING STREAKS OF LIGHT FOR A SECOND
OR TWO. THESE METEORS GENERALLY BURN UP BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND...
ALTHOUGH IN MARCH 2003 PIECES OF ONE DID FALL IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS
ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

 

[NeFire242]

So what freq are they reporting this on? Since you've posted this in the space & sat monitoring forum.

Cause I thought it'd be all local Sheriff and PD freqs.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

So what freq are they reporting this on? Since you've posted this in the space & sat monitoring forum.

Hmm. 216.980 probably.

 

[Thunderbolt]

So what freq are they reporting this on? Since you've posted this in the space & sat monitoring forum.

Cause I thought it'd be all local Sheriff and PD freqs.

I overheard it on 75 meters. There were some hams talking about AMSAT related items, and one of them broke-in and mentioned that there were reports coming in about meteorites falling to the south from his location in Madison, Wis. Apparently, another Ham was returning home, and reported seeing the burning objects falling from the night sky 15 minutes later on the same frequency.

First impression from several eyewitnesses, was that the meteorites were falling aircraft. Several counties investigated this event as a report of downed aircraft, but was discounted when other officials correctly reported them as meteorites. I am sure that after daylight, there will be people out looking for these rocks.

73's

Ron

 

[NeFire242]

I saw that NWS put out a statement, I would have like to have heard that NOAA broadcast.

 

[DaveNF2G]

I wonder if it's fragments of the Chinese weather satellite that China recently destroyed.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

I was going to check the orbital track but at first glance the swath of debris they showed on the news tonight didn't match with the debris ring from Fengyun 1c satellite.

I heard what I thought was the neighbor loading some heavy farm equipment but it was apparently the the meteor/space debris. Talked to a couple of people today that seen it and it was quite a spectacle I guess and was very loud outside. You saw the flash and a trail of debris followed by a sharp double boom and rumble. Really sorry I missed it.

 

[mfn002]

I remember the event when two meteors collided in the south. We saw it even over here in TX!

 

[wa2ciq]

Someone call Bruce Willis ASAP!

 

[k9rzz]

I was going to check the orbital track but at first glance the swath of debris they showed on the news tonight didn't match with the debris ring from Fengyun 1c satellite.

I thought that NASA tracks all space debris and pretty much knows when all that junk is going to fall.

John K9RZZ

 

[k9rzz]

I was going to check the orbital track but at first glance the swath of debris they showed on the news tonight didn't match with the debris ring from Fengyun 1c satellite.

I thought that NASA tracks all space debris and pretty much knows when all that junk is going to fall.

John K9RZZ

 

[DaveNF2G]

NASA doesn't do that. It's NORAD (actually, the space-junk-tracking division has a new name that I can't remember right now).

 

[rdale]

They don't track every piece of debris 24/7 - WAY too many pieces up there... They check periodically.

 

[elk2370bruce]

I remember the event when two meteors collided in the south. We saw it even over here in TX!

Sounds like a lot more fun than the old song "Stars Fell on Alabama" from the 40's.

 

[daleduke17]

Thunderbolt -

Here's an article about a meteorite falling into someone's house in Bloomington this weekend.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/03/05/news/doc45ec62e14a6c2722505892.txt

 

[BazookaJoe]

One meteor was spotted by thousands all across southern lower Michigan at 8 pm local time last night. My county even put out a BOL for it after receiving several calls. Good thing it wasn't a plane on fire, right?

 

[Thunderbolt]

Thunderbolt -

Here's an article about a meteorite falling into someone's house in Bloomington this weekend.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/03/05/news/doc45ec62e14a6c2722505892.txt

Thank you! This looks very interesting. I would hate to have been sitting at the desk when it struck.

73's

Ron

 

[rdale]

"My county even put out a BOL for it after receiving several calls."

Makes no sense to tell people to be on the lookout for a meteorite long after it's already burned up! Should have just announced that it happened so if people ask about it, that no planes burned up... The lack of science knowledge still amazes me.

 

[daleduke17]

Thank you! This looks very interesting. I would hate to have been sitting at the desk when it struck.

73's

Ron

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/03/10/news/doc45f1ebb102e37418649115.txt

And a followup.

 

[BazookaJoe]

"My county even put out a BOL for it after receiving several calls."

Makes no sense to tell people to be on the lookout for a meteorite long after it's already burned up! Should have just announced that it happened so if people ask about it, that no planes burned up... The lack of science knowledge still amazes me.

Yeah, who knows about that one. It's possible all the calls they got were none too specific or...educated. :S