Showing posts with label 20MAY2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 20MAY2011. Show all posts

5:07:00 PM

Preliminary Ground Track Of 20MAY2011 Georgia Fireball Bolide Released By NASA...

From ELPALLSKY 22MAY2011:
Initial estimation of the ground track is based on preliminary data from two NASA all sky cameras located in Cartersville and Chickamauga Georgia.

NASA Meteoroid Environment Office Director Dr. Bill Cooke tells ELPALLSKY...
"First off, this thing hit the top of the atmosphere moving very fast at 38.6 km/s. Orbit is low inclination and nearly parabolic, which implies a cometary origin.


Important stuff:
Start point: Lon -83.480 +/- 0.0018, Lat 32.700 +/- 0.0018, height 106.7 +/- 0.3 km
End point: Lon -84.915 +/- 0.0017, Lat 33.725 +/- 0.0017, height 61.2 +/- 0.3 km

Speed 38.6 +/- 1.9 km/s

Radiant coordinates: RA 249.1 Dec -23.0, both with errors of about 1.0 degree. These coordinates are a close match to the antihelion radiant at ~252, -22."

image courtesy NASA MSFC MEO EV44-click image to enlarge

In the video below, frame speed has been reduced to 1/3 real-time to better show fragmentation of the bolide during it's illuminated flight. This video courtesy NASA MSFC MEO EV44

ELPALLSKY asked Dr. Bill Cooke (Dir. of MEO at Marshall Space Flight Center-Huntsville, AL) whether he believes any of the bolide might have made it to the ground...
"I doubt it - dirty ice doesn't like heat too much :P Plus the meteor was very fast, well above the 15 km/s threshold you usually see in meteorite droppers. However, I could be wrong - waiting on Peter Brown (UWO-Canada) and his team to take a look and give me their thoughts.  

3:44:00 AM

BREAKING METEOR NEWS...UPDATE...EAS NEWS...UPDATE...NASA Releases Initial Imagery Of Widely Seen 20MAY2011 GA, AL Fireball Bolide

FROM ELPALLSKY...Thanks to all witnesses in AL, GA, FL, TN, and SC who emailed and left reports in the "chat window" !! about this significant event !!

NASA All Sky Cameras Capture Significant Alabama, Georgia Bolide Event Which Occured at 9:46pm CDT-10:46pm EDT 20MAY2011-(02:46:53 UTC 21MAY2011).

From ELPALLSKY 22MAY2011:
After scanning video cameras in Alabama and Georgia, NASA Meteoroid Environment Office Director Dr. Bill Cooke tells ELPALLSKY " this is by far the biggest and brightest event we have seen with our little network! You will note 3 distinct flares in the video, indicating 3 fragmentation events." Orbital data is being reduced and orbital, trajectory, and magnitude (visual brightness) solutions will be available soon. Bookmark this site and stay with ELPALLSKY for updates!

All Images Below Courtesy NASA-MSFC-MEO-EV44 Huntsville, AL
Videos Are Flipped Horizontally...In Videos Only, -North is down and East is left
image from Tellus Science Center-Cartersville, GA NASA All Sky Camera
click image to enlarge
image from Chickamauga, GA Nasa All Sky Camera
click image to enlarge

1:52:00 AM

A Flurry Of Fireballs? Additional Fireball Inquiries To ELPALLSKY 20MAY2011 And 21MAY2011

ILLINOIS:
Chicago, Illinois arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for flame flying through sky near illinois may 20 2011.
23:33:06 -- 2 hours ago

TEXAS:
Baytown, Texas arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for green light across the sky may 2011 houston.
00:18:23 -- 1 hour 16 mins ago
San Antonio, Texas arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for fireballs in the sky may 21.
00:52:34 -- 44 minutes ago


CALIFORNIA:
Vista, California arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for Red fireball in the sky in wilmington ca.
00:22:22 -- 1 hour 13 mins ago
Murrieta, California arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: AL GA NC FL Large Bright Green Fireball 20MAY2011..." by searching for big flash in the sky may 21 2011.
01:15:53 -- 21 minutes ago

PENNSYLVANIA:
Springdale, Pennsylvania arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for anyone else see the meteor before 11:00 pm may 20 2011.
00:37:32 -- 58 minutes ago

CANADA:
Châteauguay, Quebec arrived from bing.com on "elp allsky: Meteor News...Possible Bright Meteor Event Along Gulf Coastal States, SE US...21JAN2011" by searching for falling meteor on May 21- 2011.
Surrey, British Columbia arrived from google.ca on "elp allsky: AL GA NC FL Large Bright Green Fireball 20MAY2011..." by searching for may 20 2011 fireball.
01:36:01 -- 2 minutes ago

9:22:00 PM

AL, GA ,TN, NC, FL, Large Bright Green Fireball 20MAY2011...

Inquiries To ELPALLSKY Indicate Possible Green Fireball Seen Over Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee And Georgia 9:47 to 9:50pm CDT 10:47pm to 10:50pm EDT-20MAY2011

From The Chat Window:

May 22 2011, 5:40 PM Guest803 (guest): Dacula, Ga 5/20/2011 10:45pm a green fireball came buy and pulsed four times before i lost site of it

May 21 2011, 12:31 AM Guest120 (guest): Hello, Covington Ga, around 11-11:30pm, sitting in the backyard with several friends, when a flash of light quickly darted across the sky, as bright as a lightning storm, by the time we ran to see what it was it was gone. Can see streaks in the sky of where it passed through. It was to quick for us to see it, but it was so bright over my house, but I couldnt quite see it due to trees and my home in the way.

May 21 2011, 6:25 PM Guest191 (guest): I was sitting out in the street with my friends, celebrating the last day of school, when I suddenly saw a ball of green fire fly through the night sky. My friends also saw red and white in it, but it was truly amazing.


E-Mails From: 

P. Waller-Sandy Springs, GA:
On late Friday evening around 11:00pm, I walked out from dropping off mail at the post office on Glenridge Drive near Roswell Rd in Sandy Springs, Georgia, (@285 and Roswell Rd.) I looked up after seeing a huge streak of light forming across the sky directly above me. It came from the east and moved toward west's direction. It formed right before my eyes, beginning whitish blue in color and then faded to yellow then red until it was gone. It was so wide, I believe that I heard the sound of it's swooping. I could not believe what had just saw, so I yelled to cars passing by, "Did you see that?" They just kept driving by as if though I was "off my rocker." Could it be that I was the only one that saw it? No I thought. I mentioned it to a few people that evening as I returned home and they looked at me as if though I was crazy also, being synonyms with the "end of the world" claimed by a religous group that the world would end the following day. I am now relieved to know that there were many others that saw the huge light breaming across the sky.

Kelley C.-Greensboro, GA:
On Friday May 20, 2011 at approximately 11:00 pm we witnessed a huge blue fireball (or something) cross the sky.  At first it as blue and then turned orange.  It was gone in a flash but was absolutely beautiful and nothing we had ever seen before.  It was traveling west, northwest.  I would love to know more about it!
 





Trisha D.-Newton, AL:
My boyfriend and I were at the Continental Drive-In in Newton AL and we were facing north. Around 11PM, we were watching the new Pirates movie and behind the screen a brilliant, blazing ball of yellow/green flew for about ten seconds through the sky. It was incredible! I'm sure everyone at the drive-in watching that movie saw it. It looked REALLY close.


Starr82-Covington GA:
a friend and I were standing outside of work facing SE around 11p.m and saw the object, it moved in a seemingly straight line glowed green and lasted for about 15 seconds. the object was moving NW.



Susan In Ringgold, GA:
Friday, May 20, 2011 Ringgold, Georgia
Last night, like most nights I was sitting on my deck watching the sky. I'm in Ringgold, Georgia which borders Chattanooga, Tennessee. Just before 11:00 EST I spotted a very low light that at first I thought was fireworks because of it sparkly tail. It was traveling S to W-NW (used my compass to be sure) It was very short lived, maybe two seconds. It was neon green and it looked for all the world like it exploded, then it was gone. What looked like an explosion lit up the sky, but there was no sound? I follow meteor showers and they do make noise when they explode, so I'm confused. Immediately after it was gone there was a second explosion of light, still no sound. About thirty minutes later I did see a "falling star" but it was traveling in the opposite direction.

Steve H.-Atlanta, GA:
Greetings,
I believe I saw the very end of this fireball. I was walking my dog  along Starfire Drive NE in Atlanta (30345) When I looked up and saw a while light about the size of a cantaloupe only 40 or 50 feet above. It had a trail behind it and was completely soundless. After seeing it for a few seconds it burned out and silently disintegrated right above me. That was the weirdest thing. It seemed to end its journey right there. Poof and it was gone. Here is approx location. It came from a southerly direction.
Latitude = 33.8446, Longitude = -84.2811
Lat    = 33 degrees,   50.7 minutes   North
Long = 84 degrees,   16.9 minutes   West



Bryan N- Lilburn, GA:
22:47 EDT sitting in front yard facing west. Suddenly a brilliant green fireball streaked across the sky, lasting less than a second. It was so bright and low in the sky that at first I thought it was a firework. It was completely silent and moved at a rate of speed similar to meteors I have seen. It was the brightest thing of it's kind I've ever seen, and tweeted about it right away.

Ian H.-Madison Ga:
a little before 11 I was heading south on the highway and i looked out the passenger window and saw a bright green flashing ball of light with a trail of gold sparks, heading what looked like NW.  then it disappeared

Deana W-Enterprise, AL:
I saw it, too!  Thanks!
I was in the backyard for a cig, facing NE.  I live in SE Alabama (Enterprise).  It was heading north and rather low in the sky.  It came from the east, but there are trees in that direction, so I didn't see any point of origin.  It went behind more trees and houses, so I didn't see an ending either.  It did flash once or twice, but I couldn't hear anything.  It was a neon green/yellow in color.  I mentioned it on FB and a friend of mine who was driving in the area also mentioned she saw it.
thanks again!

Anonymous:
I was sitting outside waiting to get off work me and like 10 guys sawa steaming light in the sky. A bright flash right in front of our eyes wow. First time witnessing that.

Justin F.-Smyrna, GA:
My wife and I saw a large blue/white/green streak of light over Smyrna, GA. We were facing southwest and it moved from left to right. We were able to see it for several seconds. It appeared to be very low. I guess it was a meteorite but I have never seen one this low before.
-Justin

Krista F.-Panama City FL:
I was outside with neighbors and three of us saw BRIGHT yellow multiple streaks, then a flash of green ball, then a shorter line of yellow streaks, then a flash of green ball and then it seemed to disappear on the horizon. We are in Panama City Beach, FL and this was north to slightly northwest.


From The Internet:


Wilmington, North Carolina arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for 5/20/2011 fireball in sky.
21:23:09 -- 18 seconds ago

Kennesaw, Georgia arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for big flashes in the sky 2011 5/20.
21:17:51 -- 1 minute ago

Atlanta, Georgia arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for bright flash of lights in the sky may 23 2011 .
21:13:53 -- 3 minutes ago

Covington, Georgia arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: Feb 6, 2011" by searching for comet over georgia 5 minutes ago.
21:06:25 -- 11 minutes ago

Anniston, Alabama arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for meteor 5/20/2011.

Woodstock, Georgia arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: Elevated Green Fireball Activity Expected APR 25-MAY 02, 2011 As NEO's Approach..." by searching for green meteor ga may 20 2011.
21:00:28 -- 17 minutes ago

Marietta, Georgia arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for atlanta may 19 2011 green and red commet or meteor.
20:57:49 -- 20 minutes ago

Talladega, Alabama arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: Breaking Meteor News...Large Green Meteor Fireball IA, IN, KS, MO, NE 8:47pm CDT 20APR2011..." by searching for flash in sky followed

Ooltewah, Tennessee arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: Tennessee Meteor Fireball? 03APR2011..." by searching for tennessee meteorite may 20.
19:31:45 -- 1 hour 8 mins ago


***If you saw this fireball event, please e-mail wxtx01@gmail.com with a description including time, date, location, which way you were facing, direction object traveled (right to left etc. is OK), color, any fragmentation or extremely bright flashes, and any sounds heard i.e. booms, hisses etc. Thank you for your report***