[meteorite-list] Fireball Over Pennsylvania (Part 2 of 2)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:43:34 2004
Message-ID: <200107242111.OAA09963_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

NICK GOOD writes:
     I was lifeguarding at KNOEBELS' Crystal Pool sitting, watching the pool
     when I looked to my left and therer it was. I thought that I was crazy
     or something at first, but later I found that 3 or so other people had
     seen it too! It was awesome!!!

Robbie writes:
     Unreal how this story gets out of proportion . People have nothing
     better to do than make a molehill into a mountain. That is N.E. Pa .
     for ya !!!!! LMAO !!!!

TomAtrus writes:
     I was driving home sometime after six and I happened to be looking
     right close to the vicinity of the location right as the meteor entered
     the atmosphere. It let a very large streak of fire that last for about
     a whole second and then was gone. All that was left was a big line of
     smoke. From the width of the streak I have to assume that it hit.
     Something that size couldn't have burned up. It was one of the most
     amazing things i've ever seen.

Jim Donnelly writes:
     heard some booms while sitting on my deck with my dogs. I heard it, and
     thought...that was a deep rumble I've never heard before. It's not
     thunder...a missle....nah....6:30pm Wilkes-Barre, PA

unknown writes:
     I seen and heard this too, I live around Lock Haven, I just have one
     question why is there no reports or pictures from radar, or something
     of the like?

Ashley Watsontown, PA writes:
     I looked up and saw a very bright flash go by really fast in front of
     my house hear in Watsontown PA. It seemed it was about a half a mile
     off the ground, but it went by so fast it was hard to tell. About 3
     minutes later we heard two loud "booms". I can't believe that people
     are hearing and seeing this in other states. Could there be more than
     one? And will anymore fall? I would like to hear where it hit. I just
     hope noone was hurt.

G from Tioga writes:
     i was laying on the floor around 6:25 and heard a heck of a boom and
     felt the house move thought the house next door blew up

Storm Tracker Matt Abbey From Montoursville writes:
     It was 6:15 and we herd 3 sonic booms, first one was the loudest. We
     saw the the bright light fly across the sky and then the boom. The
     scaner was going crazy, no one knew what it was or where it was going
     to if it hadn't already hit. Relatives in Paited Post NY, herd the
     sonic boom at around 6:15 also. It's been weird so who knows.

P BRYINGTON writes:
     I LIVE IN GILETT, PA. AT ABOUT 6:30 PM THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE A PROPANE
     TANK EXPLODING NEAR BY. ALL THE NEIGHBORS WERE SCURRYING OUTSIDE TO
     LOOK FOR SIGNS OF A POSSIBLE CATASTROPHE.

Denise writes:
     I heard the boom around 6ish Heard lots of rumors. News people help us
     out. what was it?

theresa from montgomery writes:
     i didn't see anything, but our windows shook from 2 loud noises. we
     didn't find out what it was till we heard it on the news. keep up the
     good work. hopefully we will find out a lot more about what it really
     was and where it hit if it did hit anywhere.

[blank] writes:
     i am just wandering if it is a meteor then why did we not pick it up
     with are technolgy??????

Larry From Scranton writes:
     I seen it while driving 309 South. Seemed like it was traveling to the
     south. I have seen many meteroites before and that's just what this
     was. It was MUCH bigger than i have ever seen before though most being
     just 'streaks' in the sky. There was a descernable size to this one
     though,, the biggest i've seen yet!! I wanted to stare at it longer but
     i didn't wanna become a firy ball myself while driving!!

Jen writes:
     I was traveling along 254 between Washingtonville and Milton and
     thought the sound that we heard was my tire blowing out. Then thought
     maybe my larger tires had picked up a rock and thrown it up under my
     truck..it was quite loud. We got to a friends house later in Exchange
     and she told us that it shook their house also.

Jeff-from Sunbury, PA writes:
     I was on duty guarding a Lewisburg Facility when at approximately 6:27
     pm I saw a streak of light reflect off the window of the guardhouse. I
     turned to see what it was, but didn't notice anything at the time.
     About three minutes later (6:30pm) I heard an extremely loud boom that
     seemed to come from the northwest and lasted about five seconds or so.
     The sound was accompanied by a powerful vibration that felt more like
     an earthquake. At first I thought a nearby gas station had exploded or
     something, but then I received reports of a meteor strike around the
     Tioaga, Bradford counties.

Bradford Co. writes:
     About twenty after six I heard two low booms, then several seconds
     after one smaller one, but I didn't see anything....seemed to come from
     Sullivan County way. I live outside of Sugar Run.

[blank] writes:
     i was at work and i work at a telemarketing place in McElhattan and we
     thought it was thunder and we went inside from our break and told our
     boss that we should get off the phones because it was gonna be a bad
     storm then at lunch at 730 someone said it was a meteor we laughed him
     off and then we went out for a break around 1000 and someone said it
     was a plan crash in salladasburg i was gonna go up after work with a
     friend who was following me home and when we got to my house she said
     on the way home she called her husband on her cell phone and he said it
     was a meteor so i got on here to find out exactly what it was

theresa from montgomery writes:
     i didn't see anything, but our windows shook from 2 loud noises. we
     didn't find out what it was till we heard it on the news. keep up the
     good work. hopefully we will find out a lot more about what it really
     was and where it hit if it did hit anywhere.

Kyle Kintner Towanda Pa writes:
     I was swimming in a local creek near my apartment, called stoney fork
     near Wellsboro. We all saw a huge flash it lit up the entire ravine
     where we were swimming. Then a few seconds later we heard this huge
     sonic boom. That lasted for at least two or three minutes. The noise
     echoed throughout the area and it continued to crackle and fade away.
     Rumors of it hitting near Wellsboro Pa?

Josh McKee Of Milton writes:
     I was sitting on my front porch around 6:15 this after noon when I
     heard two very loud bangs and felt the whole house shake. All of our
     neighbors felt it also because they all came running out of their
     houses to see what had happened. We thought that maybe one of the
     buildings from down town had collapsed or even blown up. I'm just happy
     it was a meteor and not an explosion or a plane crash.

JFROMFC writes:
     If it was a meteor how come we were not warned about it coming near.
     Would atleast maybe meteorologist see it or would have a scientist seen
     it. I want to kno what is being covered up. And whatever it is it is
     more than a frisby.

paranoid writes:
     If its a meteor that was big enough to shake the ground & bust windows
     why weren't at least a few people warned?!...and they know it hit but
     nobody knows where?.. Russia & China are both mad at the U.S since the
     missle test, could our new syatem have been proved faulty?! If not that
     could it be a new prototype aircraft of our own? WHAT IS IT!!!
     C.O.V.E.R.U.P!!!

Code Name: Zeta writes:
     Hey, I thought that the space shuttle Atlantis was supposed to come
     back to earth within the next few days. Dont you think it could have
     been the shuttle being knocked of course or something happened to it
     making it to come down like this?

Carol From Natalie writes:
     I was sitting in my yard watching the dogs and just happen to see this
     thing come across the sky and heading for the ground. It was so strange
     I thought I was seeing things at first. It left smoke behind as it was
     traveling. At first I thought a plane had explored. I never seen any
     thing like it.

Van White writes:
     I was traveling from Pittsburg to Montrose. I was on rt-80 just east of
     Williamsport, at mile marker 185. The clock in my truck read 6:18 (no
     guarentee that was the correct time). Off to my left, I noticed
     somthing very bright in the sky. This object's brightness rivaled that
     of the sun. I watched the fireball for two or three seconds. It was
     LARGE! The outer ring was oarnge, just like you would imagine a
     fireball to look. but the core of it was white hot. You could actually
     see the object rotating as it burned. there were blue, and what looked
     like green and other colors from the tail of the core, trailing back
     through the fire and smoke trail it left as it flew. The smoke trail
     stayed visible for at least 10 minutes. I had my windows closed, and my
     stereo on, and I didn't hear any "booms", but the sight was truly
     amazing. My brother was driving directly in front of me, and he saw the
     object also. Truly AMAZING!!! If my sighting of this object, it's
     description, and approximate flight path, can help anyone who is
     studying this phenonmenon, I would be happy to help any way I can. Post
     a message relating to this one, and I'll contact you.

tonya from p.c. pa writes:
     i was outside my house talking to a friend in my driveway and we heard
     the "boom" and i felt the earth kinda shaking, the garage doors at my
     house shook too. My friend and I were like what was that, because it
     sounded like thunder. When he got home his dad said he saw an object
     flying across the sky that was in flames. Hope they find out what it
     was, we are kinda curious!

Joyce & Julie writes:
     We were at Lake Jean at Ricketts Glen, and saw the orange ball close to
     6:30, within about 5 minutes we heard two thunder like sounds.

Jason Smith writes:
     I live near Lock Haven and I saw the meteor that came through the area.
     I was driving down Bald Eagle Street going in a North East direction
     around 1810 or 1815 hours. I noticed something bright out of my
     driver's side window. At first, I thought it was a specular highlight
     from something chrome coated on my car because the light was on such a
     very straight trajectory. Once I turned to look at it, I couldn't help
     but notice how brilliantly white it was. I was surprised to notice that
     there wasn't much of a flaming tail. The tail looked like it was mostly
     water vapor or smoke. After about five minutes after I noticed it I
     glanced out the car window to see if the contrail or smoke trail was
     still there and it still was, although, it was somewhat dissipated by
     that point.

kid writes:
     I guess we upset the Iraq's one to many times. Or maybe someone
     else!!!!!!! Hopefully someone will know something soon!!!!!!!!!!

Clinton County writes:
     I was outside on my break when i thought i heard thunder. It was all
     cloudy but i saw a bright light in the sky which wasn't the sun. I
     really thought nothing of it until i heard what had happened. Now it
     really scares me knowing that it could have anywhere and could have
     killed somebody. I'm just glad that nobody was hurt from it.

Tom Donohue ~ Williamsport writes:
     BOOM! the entire house shook, the ground was still shaking when we made
     it outside, We live in the mountains and thought it may have been the
     neighbors so I called 911.. I could not get through, it took me several
     times to get through, then the operator told he they thought it was an
     airplane crash, so we got in the car and drove down the road looking to
     see if we could help b4 the medics go there... saw nothing by the time
     we got back they were talking about it on tv. Something I will not
     forget about. Thats for sure.

annonymous writes:
     I AM VERY DISSAPOINTED IN SOME OF THE CHANNELS LIKE CNN AND SUCH EVEN
     THOUGH THEY HAD SOME COVERAGE IT WASNT MUCH NOW I DON'T CARE IF THSI
     DOES HAPPEN ALL THE TIME IT SCARED ALOT OF PEOPLE AROUND HERE AND WE
     SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL 11 OR LOGG ONTO THE COMPUTER TO MAKE SURE
     THAT EVERYTHIGN IS ALL RIGHT I MEAN COME ON WAKE UP JUST B/C WE ARN'T
     IN TEH SENATE OR LIVE IN A BIG CITY DOESN'T MEEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE
     THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW TOO WNEP IS DOING A PRETTY GREAT JOB I HOPE
     THAT WE WILL HERE MORE SOON

Michelle writes:
     Like many of the other stories, our family felt our house shake and our
     windows rattled. We live in Clinton County, near Avis. But what I would
     like to know is, if it was a meteorite like everyone seems to think,
     then why didn't NASA or any of President Bush's people notice this.
     These kind of things have happened before and why doesn't the
     government put the public on alert of such things going on. If it does
     turn out that NASA and the gov. knew abou this and didn't tell
     anyone...what will happen when something else worse happens. I am sure
     that the government will cover up if they knew about it. I am waiting
     for your follow up story on this. Please get us some pictures. I am
     anxious to find out what it really was.

Mike Kovacs writes:
     I just hope nobody got hurt in the process.

montgomery writes:
     I was playing ball at the local field when it happened. I saw the
     streak of light out of the corner of my eye, but at first thought i had
     seen the sun as i turned my head. I turned around, looked to the sky to
     see a trail of smoke. We went back to playing and a few minutes later I
     heard a single, loud, "BOOM" which was followed by a low rumbliing like
     thunder. I also seemed to feel what must have been a shock wave of the
     "Sonic Boom." Just thought i'd let you know what I experienced. Thanks
     for doing such a great job on the coverage.

Derek Yoder from Newky Pa writes:
     wow our tax dollars really did a good job for our technology thanks for
     warnin us Nasa you guys rock!!!!

Mom in Muncy writes:
     A comment on the guy you had on the news discussing this situation. It
     seems to me that he said the meteorites are cold when they hit the
     ground. How would one explain the 'other' news channel having an arial
     view of a large ball of flame in a corn field? One would wonder if they
     were paying attention. As for aliens, that's doubtful. The world is so
     messed up now, why would they want to come HERE of all places?
     Certainly not to take over. LOL Hoping to see more pictures of it.

Mike from Berwick writes:
     Heard loud noise at 1830 hrs. Shook the whole house. BOOM !!!! Is it a
     taste of what's yet to come ????

PA writes:
     for what it's worth... this otta be interesting ;) Can't wait to see
     the site it hit...and I really am no expert here..but how can so many
     people from other states hear this same bang at the same time....hmmmm
     quess not only in pa ay? Ohhh and this may not have been little green
     men...but believe me there are things out there not many could even
     fathom...and me myself..sure I love hearing this stuff cause it makes
     me think I can't wait for jesus to come with the big paddle and make
     this whole world =RIGHT=..It gives me hope ;0)

Bert from Lock Haven writes:
     Well I guess that secret Pentagon "Star Wars" test was successful.

heather yanonis writes:
     I live in Mahanoy City,I was walking downtown to meet someone when I
     looked up in the sky and saw this orange ball shooting out of the
     sky.At first I thought it was a shooting star,but,then I realized it
     wasn't.If you could,please post some pictures of this everyone is
     anxious to see it.

Eddie from W-B writes:
     The government knows when you're doing your laundry, but the cannot
     predict a meteor??? Should have kept the rebates from the IRS to update
     the technology!

jersey shore writes:
     I was doing dishes and my husband was upstairs when the whole house
     started to shake, I thought he was doing something, but when I ask him
     what he was doing he said it was not him. I than thought maybe my son
     had thrown something against the side of the house, but when I looked
     out he was just playing in the yard. I ran out to get him and make him
     come in because I did not know what the sound was from. We waited for
     the fire alarms to go off, but they never did. Than I heard on your
     station it might have been a metor. Big excitement for our small town.

Arnie, Danville,Pa writes:
     I was playing golf at 6:20 last evening, everyone was shouting to look
     up in the sky, what I saw was your normal looking meteor with a nice
     long tail, and a few seconds later a loud boom followed in a minute or
     two by a second loud boom. That must have been the impact.

Leah Hammack writes:
     I live in Canton, Bradford County and it was the loudest boom I have
     ever heard and my trailer shook

gjj writes:
     It seems strange to me that given newswatch 16s reputation for
     sensationalizing any news situation, that this event witnessed by
     thhousands of people in northeast PA was worth only a minute or so of
     news time. If this were a plane crash Skycam 16 would be out searching
     for the location with live coverage from the site or nearby community
     with more information about the event than you would care to know. I'm
     not saying it was not a meteor, but someone wasn't sure enough to let
     anyone get close to check it out.

Ron writes:
     We heard it in Herndon around 6:30 pm. The thing that scares me is that
     the gov't knew nothing about it. I thought they were watching stuff
     like this. Seems that some farmer in Lycoming county has a big burn
     mark in his field. Man, everything happens in Lycoming county!!

Joshua N writes:
     we were in our neighbors pool just ready to leave when we heard BABOOM
     BABOOM!!!!! we thought somthing just down the road exploded so we
     thought we go down the road to check it out and on the radio they had
     people calling in and we heard that it was in stonyfork(we live in
     middlebury pa about 15 miles away)so we realized how loud it was josh

FLASH GORDON (ALIAS) (BOB) HUGHESVILLE, PA. writes:
     LET'S ALL PREPARE OURSELVES FOR STRANGE THINGS TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR, I
     HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN DANGEROUS TIMES. OUR WEATHER
     PATTERNS ARE ALL CHANGING, YES, WEATHER PERSONNEL HAVE A JOB TO DO BUT
     ARE NOT ALWAYS CORRECT. TO THAT PERSON WHO MADE THE REMARK ABOUT
     "CHRIST" WHEN HIS RETURN TO EARTH COMES, IT WILL HAPPEN IN THE WINK OF
     AN EYE, HOPEFULLY IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIM, YOU WILL NO LONGER BE HERE ON
     EARTH TO BEAR THE AFTER EFFECTS OF GREAT TRAGEDIES. NO, THE GOVERNMENT
     IS NOT TRYING TO COVER UP ANYTHING. EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT DAY !

cassie ivrine montgomery ,pa writes:
     like it says in the bible the world shall come to a end in 2000 well
     actually thus year is 2000 so maybe it is the end of the world we will
     not know tll god tells us what he wants from us and with him no one can
     do us harm.

Jersey Boy writes:
     Saw the Metor in Southern New Jersey, did not hear any boom.

joe in port trevorton writes:
     great job 16 crew!!!! now lets get to the bottom of it ,something this
     big it our area, come on lets get the facts down better!! where did it
     hit and way is it not public info; or did gov; shut ya up?

MARK/DANVILLE writes:
     I was in the pool when I heard what sounded like a large gas explosion
     after 6pm. The sound was like no sound I ever heard.

Looking for more Info writes:
     Where I live, on the side of a mountain surrounded by trees, I can not
     get WNEP. Could you keep us, who can not get your station, informed?
     This is very interesting and would like to know more.

Justin H. writes:
     I live in Montgomery Pa We saw a big FIRE BALL in the sky. There was a
     slite boom but nothing was shaking.

Astonomer14 writes:
     All the reports state that it was a meteor. I'm not going to say it is
     or isn't but it seems to me that WE should of known about this. Huge
     meteors don't just come from anywhere and is this the last one or not.
     I'm just thinking that we would of known about it before it came. Could
     it be from SOMEONE else. Maybe. The important thing is to make sure
     that our minds are not made up for us by the media. We should keep our
     minds open to all possibilities.

Joseph Stachyra writes:
     hope you guy's get a news truck out to the location. Please don't cover
     this one up. When they require the national guard, I would say there is
     a news story !

HUGHESVILLE RESIDENT writes:
     I live outside of Hughesville. When we heard the sonic boom we thought
     either a tree fell on our house or the propane tank at the "Pit Stop"
     exploded. We appreciate the fast coverage by WNEP.

williamport teen writes:
     We were all in our pool when it looked like it flew over us it was
     amazing looking then within maybe 3 minutes it was a big bang it mad us
     all jump like wow it scared us we got out the pool. It was interesting
     to see something like that, and I will never forget it

Andrew in Lock Haven writes:
     WNEP you are doing a poor job here we know this thing hit in more than
     one area in the region you need to investigate this further, we have a
     burn mark in a corn field northwest of Williamsport, also heard reports
     of a piece SOuth of Lock Haven, and also in Wellsboro. Why aren't you
     in these places reporting what it really was??

Cincy Transplant writes:
     COME ON N.E PA! You're smarter than this (I thought). You had a
     once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a natural phenomenon. It
     wasn't China or Iraq. It wasn't a plane. It wasn't an alien craft. God
     did have a hand in it, but it wasn't the Rapture. 'Meteor(ites)
     happen.' Sounds like a good bumper sticker slogan to get a few good
     laughs. Thank God no one got hurt (that we know of), and read up on
     NASA's N.E.A.R. projects to find out WHY they can't predict small
     objects (yes, this series of objects that gave you all a show was
     SMALL) and their paths. 'Mr Bush' and his 'people' are watching out for
     us just fine. GO PENN STATE!

Kacie Lynne McElhattan writes:
     Last nught (Monday 23,2001) in Avis I first heard a noise that sounded
     like a crashing airplane coming down. I then looked up in the sky and
     saw this big, burning object.My step grandfather said is was a jet but
     it was to close to be a jet. After it disapeared there was this line of
     smoke.About 30 sec. later there was this big boom.I thought it had
     landed somewhere in Avis.

Rob,Maizeville,Pa writes:
     I saw the meteror go right over me - we didnt know what it was till we
     saw it on the news - it was pretty cool...

Melanie writes:
     Am I wrong or does a meteor freeze/get cold when it lands? If this was
     a 'meteor' then why were there burn/scortch marks left on the ground?
     What else could it have been?
Received on Tue 24 Jul 2001 05:11:12 PM PDT