[meteorite-list] Huge explosion likely caused by meteor

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Sep 12 00:33:42 2006
Message-ID: <76ecg29msr3d1lr9uhtvm350vll1rrvg5n_at_4ax.com>

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3794985a10,00.html

Police have been inundated with calls after a huge explosion was heard from
Wellington to Invercargill.


Residents in east Christchurch said their houses shook and rattled dramatically
after a huge boom just after 3pm. Emergency services are heading to east
Christchurch to investigate.

Early reports suggest the noise may have been a sonic boom caused by a meteor
entering the atmosphere.

The noise was heard at least as far north as Wellington and as far south as
Invercargill although most reports concentrated in the Canterbury region.

Several people reported seeing a glowing red ball streaking over the Canterbury
sky.

"Whilst sunning myself in Ilam, I saw a bright meteorite fly high over one of
the buildings with a yellow tinge. It continued for about five seconds before
breaking off into two smaller pieces and disapearing. Seconds later a loud
rumble permeated the air, which startled me," said Georgia Weaver from the
University of Canterbury.

The meteor has shown up on the McQueen's Valley seismograph.

A GNS Science spokeswoman said they were aware of the incident.

"Something has hit the ground hard, it's not an earthquake," she said.

An Air Force spokesman told NZPA none of their aircraft were responsible - none
of the current fleet went fast enough to create a sonic boom.

The Christchurch airport had reported they had no planes that were capable of
making such a noise.

Kevin Graham, garage workshop owner in Rolleston - 22km southwest of
Christchurch - told NZPA when he heard the boom his first thought was it was a
September 11 anniversary attack.

"I don't frighten very easily, but I was just about sh**ing myself."

Mr Graham said he was inside his workshop at the time the boom hit.

"I've been talking to my wife at Addington and she had run outside because she
thought the stand was going to collapse. And I ran outside because I thought my
place was going to collapse as well."

Mr Graham said he could feel the shock waves in the air so thought it was close,
but a truck driver had reported to a local rep he had seen a meteorite fall from
the sky into a field in Hinds, 19km southwest of Ashburton.

He said the sound was like a CNG tank exploding.

"It started off with a little boom then a real massive boom. And I mean massive
- like the daddy of all booms."

The noise was so loud it shook the garage, he said. "I was wondering what
happened and I thought 'Oh, September 12', because we're a day ahead of the
States.

"As you do, because everyone is talking about it at the moment."

More than 1000 meteorites hit the Earth every year, although many more burn up
in the atmosphere before impact
Received on Tue 12 Sep 2006 12:34:57 AM PDT