[meteorite-list] Re: Another bright SoCal meteor?

From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:44:43 2004
Message-ID: <20010328181628.70352.qmail_at_web10404.mail.yahoo.com>

Hello Rob,

Here is the URL for the first published account of
this fireball:

http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20010327/t000026482.html

Here's a coincidence. It was actually observed by two
of our own Meteorite-Recovery Group members - Ron
Hartman and his son Jim. After seeing the
green-flaming chunk of space debris go down and out of
sight over the western horizon (from his vantage point
near Pomona, CA), Ron turned to his son and said,
"There goes another perfectly good $5.00 a gram
meteorite into the Pacific Ocean!"

All sarcasm aside, I met with Ron earlier that same
afternoon at his planetarium at Mt. San Antonio
Community College where I got to see the latest
version of his meteorite display. It is very
impressive and it is getting better with time. One of
the best displays in Southern California. It
continues to leave quite an impression on all the
school children that come to visit the planetarium.

Regards,
Bob V.


-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Baalke [mailto:baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 3:44 PM
To: robert.verish_at_jpl.nasa.gov
Subject: Brilliant Light Plunging Into Pacific May
Have Been Meteor

http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20010327/t000026482.html

Brilliant Light Plunging Into Pacific May Have Been
Meteor
Los Angeles Times
March 27, 2001

     A bright red and green light that appeared to
plunge into the Pacific Ocean on Monday night may have
been a meteor, an astronomer said.
     About 30 people from Santa Barbara to Marina del
Rey called U.S. Coast Guard and law enforcement
officials about 8:20 p.m. to report what they thought
was a meteorite, a flare or a downed aircraft,
authorities said.
     Crews in boats and helicopters equipped with
infrared scopes were sent to search for crash debris
in Los Angeles Harbor and Marina del Rey, but they
found nothing.
     Paramedic Robert Johnson saw the brilliant burst
of light in Sherman Oaks while sitting around a
bonfire with fellow firefighters.
     "I could see how people thought it was a plane,"
he said. "There were flames coming out, but they were
green and large.
     "This thing was hot and just going before it
disappeared below the horizon," he said. "I thought it
was going to crash into something."
     Troy Powers, a museum guide at Griffith
Observatory, said that judging from the descriptions,
"it could have been a meteor."
     "It might have impacted the water, although
that's pretty rare," he said. More likely, he said,
"it was a meteor, between the size of a naval orange
and a basketball, about 40 to 50 miles high in the
atmosphere."






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Received on Wed 28 Mar 2001 01:16:28 PM PST