[meteorite-list] Bright Meteor Over Australia

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Feb 10 13:40:44 2005
Message-ID: <200502101840.KAA00091_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.bordermail.com.au/ne

Meteoric rise for space fireworks display
By KYLIE MUNRO
The Border Mail (Australia)
February 10, 2005

A DAZZLING meteor streaked across the skies early yesterday with the
"fireball" signalling the peak of two showers.

Wodonga resident Mr Nick Russell saw the bright flash just after midnight.

"I was facing north when a streak of light, like a fireball, flashed
across the sky in an east-to-west direction," he said.

"It was followed by a green flash and then disappeared."

"It was all over in a second but it was a spectacular sight."

Bethanga astronomer Mr Bob Price said the green flash was the meteor
passing into the Earths atmosphere and breaking up.

"A meteor shower is caused when the Earth, in orbit, passes through
debris dropped by a comet heading towards the sun."

Another meteor shower could be expected from May 5.

Melbourne Planetarium information officer Mr Wayne Gerdtz said the
alpha-centaurids and beta-centaurids showers, active from February 2 to
February 25, peaked on Tuesday night and into yesterday morning.

They often produced many bright meteors as many as 25 an hour had been
recorded although the usual number was between three and 14 an hour.
Received on Thu 10 Feb 2005 01:40:25 PM PST