[meteorite-list] Chebarkul Videos - Choice Selections to Watch

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:27:44 -0500
Message-ID: <CAKBPJW-V24KshD-YJv42kqmgtXjrWxnb=9REL_Oihko7=n2WyQ_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Listees,

I am combing through hundreds of YouTube videos to find the best
examples of footage from the recent Russian Chebarkul meteorite fall.

My selection criteria are :

1) must be original, unedited footage with few/no cuts or mods.

2) no compilations or "best of" videos.

3) no soundtracks or silly distracting music.

4) preferably has sound to hear the explosions, or if no sound, then a
good clear view of the bolide/trail.

Here are some I have selected so far with notes for each.

Chebarkul Video #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inPclE7RwFY

This one does not clearly show the bolide or trail at first. What it
does show is the viewpoint of a man holding a video camera as he
reacts to the explosions. He is standing under a large wall of glass
panes and many of them shatter while he is taping. He ducks to avoid
the falling glass and keeps taping the entire time. He then runs down
the street to record the aftermath and confusion. He then tapes the
bolide trail in the sky. This is one of the best examples of the event
that I have screened so far out of many dozens of videos. It meets
almost all of the stated criteria in spades.

Chebarkul Video #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCawTYPtehk

This video only shows the bolide and does not record the explosions.
However, it provides a very clear view of the fireball as it travels
the entire length of the sky. The viewpoint is a dashboard camera in a
car sitting at a traffic light. Very good vantage point and a much
better quality video than most of the other dashboard cams I have seen
so far.

Chebarkul Video #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cRHsApzt8

This is a short but sweet video, so to speak. It is less than 20
seconds. It shows someone who walked outside to film the bolide trail
in the sky. The person holding the camera is then startled by the
first explosion, which is very loud. Shaken, the person continues to
film, until the second explosion is heard - at which point, the person
becomes freaked out, runs for cover, and shuts off the camera. This
one clearly lets you hear the first two fragmentation events very
clearly and you get to experience the surprise and panic of the
camera-person, albeit briefly.

Chebarkul Video #4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efvP-RRuJuA

This video I call "poor poopie" - because there is a startled dog
involved. This one is a surveillance camera overlooking (downwards) a
parking lot outside an apartment building. There is a few minutes of
boring mundane footage showing pedestrians walking through or milling
about. Just before the 01-25 mark (1 minute, 25 seconds), a small dog
wanders into the frame with a man. While watching the bolide trail in
the sky, the first explosion happens. What is interesting is how
nonplussed the people are in reaction to this sudden unexpected
explosion. It hardly startles the people, but the dog is clearly
scared. Then, the second explosion happens and the dog gets spooked
again. Afterwards, there are a few boring minutes of the people
gawking around and dog appears to be OK. I selected this one because
- the novelty of the dog and how it reacts in relation to the people
and because it shows how casual the Russians are when presented with
sudden loud explosions - apparently, it's nothing to get too excited
about when the sky explodes without warning. LOL. If you don't want
to get bored with this one, focus around the 1-minute and 25-second
mark.

Chebarkul Video #5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7mLUIDGqmw

This video is part 2 of a 5-part video. This parts meets almost all of
the selection criteria. You see and hear the explosions, the immediate
reaction, and the confusion afterwards. You get a good feel for the
confusion and chaos afterwards. Keep in mind, it is BELOW ZERO TEMPS
outside during this event, and people run outside without coats,
gloves, or other clothing. They run about, gawk, and discuss what just
happened. If any of my friends can translate some of the Russian
dialogue in this video, I would greatly appreciate it. What are they
saying exactly? Do they think it was an attack? A meteor? A bomb?

Chebarkul Video #6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HkE2RztYY

This video is short, but interesting. It appears to be shot from
inside a hotel room or apartment. There is a man and a woman, and one
of them is standing next to the window, looking outside at the bolide
trail in the sky. Suddenly, the first sonic boom rocks the room and
the woman lets out a blood-curdling scream in surprise. I selected
this video because it is one of the few examples of a Russian citizen
reacting strongly to the explosion. In most videos, the average
citizen appears very stoic and nonchalant about the blast.

I still have several dozen more videos to comb through and will post
some more at a later time.


Sources : Google News Aggregator, YouTube Search, Dr. Nick Gessler's
webpage, Robin Whittle's posts, and suggestions via Facebook, Twitter,
and other social networking sites.

Dr. Gessler's excellent page -
https://web.duke.edu/isis/gessler/meteorites/chelyabinsk.htm

Best regards,

MikeG

PS - if a reputable member of this List, the IMCA, or Met-List
acquires some small fragments of this meteorite, please contact me
off-list. This does not mean I want to be contacted by strangers with
offers. The market is flush with fakes right now, and if I do not
know you (and you are not vetted), then I will not respond to said
offer.

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Received on Thu 21 Feb 2013 04:27:44 PM PST