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Re: searching the hills




What you described sounds like an object (meteorite) on a ballistic 
trajectory.  That is it has lost all of its cosmic velocity, and it
is simply free falling to the ground.  Velocity will depend on the
weight, and shape of the object, but it is generally no more than
several hundred feet per second.   

Nininger in his book _Out_Of_The_Sky_, and in other works described
similar episodes-- and in all of them the meteorite fell not very
far from where the sighting was made.

I would suggest that you mount a search right away-- before the
winter snows, or rain sets in.  Meteorites, such as what your neighbor
saw (if that is what it is) are often large, and can produce a deep
impact pit.  Such pits are not craters, but penetration holes, (like
shooting a bullet into clay), and they will fill in quickly.  So in
your search what you would be looking for is a deep hole that will be
somewhat larger in diameter than the object that made it.  Then, if 
you find such a hole, look down into it and see if you can view the
object that made it.  These pits often have angles that reflect the
impactor's trajectory, so you want to keep that in mind when you
peer down into it.  It is helpful to have a supermagnet on a string
to check the mass if it is visable.  Often though, dirt will fall 
back onto it so it will not be seen.  Also, depending on the conditions
of the soil, and the weight of the mass, the hole can range from
a few feet in depth to as much as twenty feet.   

Before you do your seach though, narrow down the field, by taking 
detailed notes as to where the object was last seen.  That is where
did the observer note that it disappeared over the trees.  Use
a compass to get the angle and direction from the exact spot they
were standing.  Draw it on a map, and also try to get an idea of
the angle that the object was traveling relative to the ground.

Then you can make some rough estimates as to at least what direction
to look.  Travel along the line that you drew on the map from the
observer's location, taking into account the angle at which the object
was traveling.  Since it was seen as a black body object, it can't be
much more than 1/2 a mile away from the observer.

Also you might want to ask people in the suspected area of impact
if they heard a "thud"  or any ground vibration.  Such impacts 
will often create such vibrations in the ground.

If such is the case, then the impactor cannot be too far away.


Good Luck.


Steve Schoner  AMERICAN METEORITE SURVEY.


>
>Here's one . My friend and his wife were checking on their hunting
>grounds today and the were about 100 yards in the woods when they heard
>a whistleing sound getting louder and louder. They both looked up and
>saw a greyish colored mass about the size of a volley ball flying over
>the trees. It continued on its path and they said it apeared to be
>tumbleing (no smoke ) it just looked like it was a little above the
>trees. I went there a tried to figure the trajectory out. If it was
>traveling fast enough to whistle it had to be going fast enough to go a
>ways further. but there is another mountain in its way . I think this
>one may be in the valley because they said it looked like it was losing
>alt. as it continued or it may be in the side of the mountain. These
>mountains are more like large hills.  The trees down line blocked their
>view after short time .
>                          I will be checking for this on if hunting
>season does not get in the way . Its not far from my house. Ironiclly my
>wife was working in the yard and heard a boom and did not tell me till
>after the call . My wife said it sounded like an explosion. . I will
>have to follow this one up some more. How fast or slow would a meteorite
>be going and still be able to produce a whisle???              Good
>night  Henry
>
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