[meteorite-list] Meteorite lights up Gauteng sky

From: Michael Groetz <mpg4444_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:58:14 -0500
Message-ID: <ad733150911230458s48567252p4eeb376ffd28abca_at_mail.gmail.com>

Meteorite lights up Gauteng sky

http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/article204795.ece

Amazed Johannesburg and Pretoria residents could hardly believe their
eyes when a "five-second lightning flash", thought to be a meteorite,
lit up the night sky in a "dazzling display of light" at about 11pm on
Saturday.

Now the South African Astronomical Society are desperately trying to
find out in which direction the meteorite travelled, and if it landed
on Earth.

Richard Davis tweeted on social networking website Twitter that he saw
a "flash of light and flames heading towards Earth".

Another user, Marelie, tweeted that she "saw the flash from a
meteorite crashing into Earth", while Anemi Kotze speculated that it
"looked like a meteorite hit pta [Pretoria]".

Astronomical Society director Kevin Govender told The Times that "it
would be really cool" if a meteorite landing site was found, but the
rock falling through the atmosphere "would have to be as big as a car
for you to see something significant".

He suggested that the meteorite could have been the size of a soccer
ball, which would "throw up a two-metre crater". The meteorite was
also spotted by people living in Magaliesberg and Hoedspruit.
Received on Mon 23 Nov 2009 07:58:14 AM PST