Meteor 1.0
December 4, 2005 4:04 AM Subscribe
West Australians were treated to a spectacular light show last night when a meteor streaked across the sky. LQ video also available. Via ABC News.
Dun Dun Derrr, derderder derderderrr, Dun Dun Derrr.
wahooooo wahoo wahoo wahoooooo.
They're a million to one, but still they come.
posted by Boris Johnson at 5:28 AM on December 4, 2005
wahooooo wahoo wahoo wahoooooo.
They're a million to one, but still they come.
posted by Boris Johnson at 5:28 AM on December 4, 2005
convince me otherwise
Um, there is actually no "plan" to speak of?
posted by eustacescrubb at 5:40 AM on December 4, 2005
Um, there is actually no "plan" to speak of?
posted by eustacescrubb at 5:40 AM on December 4, 2005
I saw a meteor entering the atmosphere when I was in Washington, D.C. and was freaking out about it. You could see pieces falling off, it was pretty spectucular. I'm jealous.
We should develop a method to safely have this occur, it would beat fireworks to shit.
posted by Busithoth at 5:55 AM on December 4, 2005
We should develop a method to safely have this occur, it would beat fireworks to shit.
posted by Busithoth at 5:55 AM on December 4, 2005
Schroder, it was only the size of a basketball, so there's no need to call Bruce Willis and his team just yet.
posted by sjvilla79 at 5:56 AM on December 4, 2005
posted by sjvilla79 at 5:56 AM on December 4, 2005
I did not want to look at the video of the marines getting killed, 3 threads below. So instead I looked at the first link here and I still got to see it because I did not close it right after.
The meteor was beautiful.
posted by kudzu at 6:04 AM on December 4, 2005
The meteor was beautiful.
posted by kudzu at 6:04 AM on December 4, 2005
Wasn't aware of the video playing to the next story, kudzu. Sorry about that. Thanks for letting others know though.
posted by sjvilla79 at 6:14 AM on December 4, 2005
posted by sjvilla79 at 6:14 AM on December 4, 2005
schroder, at one time, that kind of display was abolutely routine in the Solar system. You need only look at the surface of the Moon for proof. I don't think there's a square inch on that body that ISN'T part of a crater.
Local space, over the millennia, has mostly been vacuumed clear of these little rocks. There are some left, and there will likely be some left even after the Sun has gone supernova. Occasionally, less and less often as the millennia pass, an unfortunate rock, having quietly orbited the Solar System for billions of years, will cross paths with Earth and meet its doom.
This one made a very pretty light show, but ascribing much actual significance to it is a bit silly.
posted by Malor at 7:41 AM on December 4, 2005
Local space, over the millennia, has mostly been vacuumed clear of these little rocks. There are some left, and there will likely be some left even after the Sun has gone supernova. Occasionally, less and less often as the millennia pass, an unfortunate rock, having quietly orbited the Solar System for billions of years, will cross paths with Earth and meet its doom.
This one made a very pretty light show, but ascribing much actual significance to it is a bit silly.
posted by Malor at 7:41 AM on December 4, 2005
I seem to remember reading about a Galactic Dust Storm that our solar system was entering a while ago. It weakens the sun's magnetic field and allows more rocks like this to get close to earth. We'll probably see lots more over time...and Ann Hodges will no longer be able to keep her horrible, horrible secret to herself.
posted by hellinskira at 9:05 AM on December 4, 2005
posted by hellinskira at 9:05 AM on December 4, 2005
The gazillions to one odds that nature's spectacular display ended up on our tiny rock in a far corner of an unimportant star group after a journey of 500 million years
The majority of meteors are junk left over from the formation of the solar system, or are broken bits of asteroids and comets that at one time strayed too close to Earth. For example, the Taurids -- of which this may be a late example -- are almost certainly parts of Comet Encke, which due to its occasional passes along Earth's orbit has been shredded and stretched across the sky. Every year these bits give us a spectacular light show (known, by the way, for its large, slow-moving meteors). Essentially these bits of the Taurids are in a sympathetic orbit with Earth and are inexorably drawn closer with every annual encounter.
at one time, that kind of display was abolutely routine in the Solar system.
It still is. Keep in mind that the Moon had billions of years to accumulate the cratering we see. Meteors that survive the entry and fall to earth -- meteorites -- number around 500 a year.
posted by dhartung at 9:51 AM on December 4, 2005
The majority of meteors are junk left over from the formation of the solar system, or are broken bits of asteroids and comets that at one time strayed too close to Earth. For example, the Taurids -- of which this may be a late example -- are almost certainly parts of Comet Encke, which due to its occasional passes along Earth's orbit has been shredded and stretched across the sky. Every year these bits give us a spectacular light show (known, by the way, for its large, slow-moving meteors). Essentially these bits of the Taurids are in a sympathetic orbit with Earth and are inexorably drawn closer with every annual encounter.
at one time, that kind of display was abolutely routine in the Solar system.
It still is. Keep in mind that the Moon had billions of years to accumulate the cratering we see. Meteors that survive the entry and fall to earth -- meteorites -- number around 500 a year.
posted by dhartung at 9:51 AM on December 4, 2005
Not to derail this but I can't help noting that the contrast between the meteor light show and the footage directly following (U.S. marines getting blown to bits by roadside bombs) is jarring to say the least. From a grand display that produces wonder and awe, to horror and clockwork human brutality. Leaving us, once again, stupid animals consumed by fear and the recoil of imagination to do nothing but contemplate death and destruction, at a time when we need it more then ever to help us envision a better place and make ourselves stronger. Yet another reason (Besides all the glaringly obvious ones), this war is a criminal waste of time and energy and human life. 911 stole the imagination of this country and this administration fed right off of that for their own ends. That is all.
posted by Skygazer at 10:09 AM on December 4, 2005
posted by Skygazer at 10:09 AM on December 4, 2005
Australian news is awesome! I watched the following three or four stories and was impressed.
That's it.
Movin to Australia.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 12:13 PM on December 4, 2005
That's it.
Movin to Australia.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 12:13 PM on December 4, 2005
kudzu writes "I did not want to look at the video of the marines getting killed, 3 threads below. So instead I looked at the first link here and I still got to see it because I did not close it right after.
"The meteor was beautiful."
War videos should be required viewing for citizens of countries involved in war.
It is ironic that the news media in Canada provides better coverage of the Iraq/US conflict than US news outlets. Perhaps if USAians didn't all prefer to hide heads in the sand (and demanded to be more informed) we could fully support our troops by demanding withdrawal. At the very least the magnetic ribbon troop "supporters" might know exactly how many troops have been killed, dismembered, or disfigured while sacrificing themselves duing "Dear Leader's" goat rope.
Sorry for the derail. I've seen a meteor streak before, but nothing like that. It would have scared me silly.
posted by HyperBlue at 1:03 PM on December 4, 2005
"The meteor was beautiful."
War videos should be required viewing for citizens of countries involved in war.
It is ironic that the news media in Canada provides better coverage of the Iraq/US conflict than US news outlets. Perhaps if USAians didn't all prefer to hide heads in the sand (and demanded to be more informed) we could fully support our troops by demanding withdrawal. At the very least the magnetic ribbon troop "supporters" might know exactly how many troops have been killed, dismembered, or disfigured while sacrificing themselves duing "Dear Leader's" goat rope.
Sorry for the derail. I've seen a meteor streak before, but nothing like that. It would have scared me silly.
posted by HyperBlue at 1:03 PM on December 4, 2005
God, I was so much better informed when I lived in Australia.
posted by Uccellina at 1:35 PM on December 4, 2005
posted by Uccellina at 1:35 PM on December 4, 2005
That tv station could learn a thing or two about newscasting. Where are the slick graphics? Everyone knows that a newscaster needs a bubble graphic over their shoulder to keep the short-attention spanned audience focussed.
posted by crunchland at 1:44 PM on December 4, 2005
posted by crunchland at 1:44 PM on December 4, 2005
Yeah and not a single flag in sight! How're you supposed to know what side to root for??
posted by Skygazer at 2:34 PM on December 4, 2005
posted by Skygazer at 2:34 PM on December 4, 2005
That was cool. I was once standing on a rural hilltop watching a distant electrical storm when a meteorite just like this one flew across the sky. Spectacular.
posted by nomis at 4:06 PM on December 4, 2005
posted by nomis at 4:06 PM on December 4, 2005
That was no meteor, that was a bolide. Trust me, I'm an astrophysicist. Nearly.
posted by Decani at 4:59 PM on December 4, 2005
posted by Decani at 4:59 PM on December 4, 2005
Baby_Balrog, the ABC is the government-funded public broadcaster. The quality of its news is unfortunately not representative of the privately-owned networks.
"War videos should be required viewing for citizens of countries involved in war." - HyperBlue
Could we change that rule to just make it required viewing for citizens who support the war? Because if wasn't able to turn my back on this stupid and evil war I'd step in front of a train.
posted by Ritchie at 5:57 PM on December 4, 2005
"War videos should be required viewing for citizens of countries involved in war." - HyperBlue
Could we change that rule to just make it required viewing for citizens who support the war? Because if wasn't able to turn my back on this stupid and evil war I'd step in front of a train.
posted by Ritchie at 5:57 PM on December 4, 2005
(derail)
HyperBlue: I am Dutch. We get this in our news. I choose not to look at pictures or videos from both parties in that war because of personal reasons. It has nothing to do with the political aspect of this war.
posted by kudzu at 1:03 AM on December 5, 2005
HyperBlue: I am Dutch. We get this in our news. I choose not to look at pictures or videos from both parties in that war because of personal reasons. It has nothing to do with the political aspect of this war.
posted by kudzu at 1:03 AM on December 5, 2005
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* convince me otherwise
posted by Schroder at 5:12 AM on December 4, 2005