Fireball Over Montreal

Fireball Over Montreal

www.cbc.ca

A meteor crashing through the Earth’s atmosphere could be responsible for sightings of a fireball over Montreal Thursday night, astronomers said.

Montrealer Humberto Dramasino witnessed the sight as he was driving home in the city's St-Laurent district around 7:30 p.m.

"I saw a fireball just below the clouds," Dramasino said. "It was losing pieces in the air while it was flying and it was very, very fast."

The spectacle lasted no more than a few seconds, Dramasino said.

Montreal-based astronomer Andrew Fazekas, who runs the website thenightskyguy.com, confirmed the descripti

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I had not seen this yet...hopefully there will be pictures!!

Interesting there seem to be more and more, or maybe there's just more people. It is a little strange that we have seen so many Meteors as of lately, maybe NASA will say we are entering the tail of a comet.

I'm also wondering if maybe it has something to do with Russia's anti-asteroid equipment.

www.cbc.ca
(visit the link for the full news article)

Thanks for posting this.

It's good o see non Gloom and Doom on ATS.
I wonder if anybody captured it on video and can post it here.

Originally posted by predator0187
Interesting there seem to be more and more, or maybe there's just more people. It is a little strange that we have seen so many Meteors as of lately, maybe NASA will say we are entering the tail of a comet.

Technically, we are passing through the tails of comets all the time. 30+ active meteor showers span the year, each lasting anywhere from 1-4 weeks, and perhaps another 70 distinct meteor showers are also known about, although they may not be as active as the others which are considered "watchable" meteor showers.

So each one of these represents us passing through the tail of a comet.

Also, what most people don't realize, is that annual cometary meteor showers are usually not related to reports of big fireballs like this one. The source of large fireballs tends to be small asteroids kicked out of the asteroid belt. The difference is important, since asteroids are much bigger and harder than cometary meteoroids, which usually explode soon after impact with our atmosphere. Asteroids, because they are harder and bigger, tend to be much brighter since they can penetrate relitively deep into our atmosphere, where the increased air density means more kinetic energy is converted into light energy.

Asteroids also tend to be slower too, which gives people a better chance of seeing them since they will tend to last longer, and because of their related orbits, tend to be common in the early evening hours when people are about more, where as cometary meteoroids are best seen in the early AM hours when people are not usually looking.

It's like mixing up apples and oranges. You can find more info on the subject here.


As for us having seen more meteors of late... perhaps there were a few more than previous years, but just like the rest of nature, some years you get more and some years you get less.

It's actually quite hard to say if we are having more big meteors or not, since we have steadily become better at seeing, detecting, and reporting them over the years. More cameras (CCTV/digi-cams/all-sky meteor monitoring networks) are being put up every year, and events that would never have been reported in the past are now regularly reported (usually they only hit the MSM when there is footage), and sites like this are good places to find these reports.

The upshot is that people are being exposed to more reports, so it can easily seem there are more meteors about to someone who has not been aware of the subject and involved with it for some time. I have been interested in this subject for well over a decade now, and seen many reports of meteors over the years, and I can say that I have not seen anything that would make me say there are significantly more meteors now, than there were before.

I honestly can't see any link to the announcement that Russia is planning to look into trying to deflect NEOs. These things happen all the time, why there should be any connection I don't know.

I appreciate you posting this.

My eldest son lives in St-Laurent. I've just e-mailed him to see if he happened to spot this or heard more about it through the local media.

reply to post by C.H.U.D.


Thanks for explaining and thanks for the expert info. I was just wondering about the amount that we had seen of lately but as you stated there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary.

I was just thinking about the Russian NEO destroyer because it was coincidental, I wasn't thinking anything serious. I think it is good that humanity has now figured out "hey if we get hit by something big enough, everyone's dead." I am glad we are preparing for this sort of thing it makes me feel a little safer.

reply to post by GoneGrey


Hi there,

I live in Alberta myself, and was lucky enough to see the one last year in the Edmonton area. They were offering money for anyone who found pieces, I wonder how many people were looking for it.

We are lucky to have seen these 2 of lately, but Canada is so large that we can expect a few more. Think about all the ones that fall into the ocean that no one ever see's.

If a meteorite falls into the ocean and there is no one to see it, does it still fall into the ocean? lol

Pred...

We are fortunate in this day and age to have access to the security camera footage of these recent events. What is particularly remarkable to me is the degree to which the nighttime sky is illuminated, even momentarily, by the flare.

I have yet to hear back from my son as to whether or not he noticed this occurrence.

Predator0187, when you saw the one last year in your neck of the woods, were you immediately aware of what it was that you saw or were you left startled and wondering?

Interesting - On Friday and Saturday I saw 2 impressive meteorites on each night around the same time of night and in more or less the same place in the sky... The planet must of passed through quite a bit of material, I wished I'd had a bit more time to look at the sky especially on the Friday cos the sky was so clear.

This fire ball was probably connected, I wish I'd seen something like that! - My sightings were very high level streaks, A bright quite wide white blue flash.

Was this fireball green - like last year's Canadian, Texan, and Russian fireballs? If so then this is yet another piece of the Perseid Cometary shower - which has been with us for decades - which NASA last year announced would be more spectacular these next couple of years more so than others.

Evidently every decade the shower peeks and involves a high frequency of fireball activity, all of it being a copper oxide based substance that burns green once it enters the thermosphere and actually starts to burn.

maybe it wasn't a meteorite...

Originally posted by GoneGrey
We are fortunate in this day and age to have access to the security camera footage of these recent events. What is particularly remarkable to me is the degree to which the nighttime sky is illuminated, even momentarily, by the flare.

I have yet to hear back from my son as to whether or not he noticed this occurrence.

Predator0187, when you saw the one last year in your neck of the woods, were you immediately aware of what it was that you saw or were you left startled and wondering?

For the brief moment I was in awe, seeing something lighting up the night sky is a little shocking. But when I thought about it, how it was moving and then the flash I knew then. Everyone else was in a panic though. It was kind of funny but it did look big.

I saw another bigger one when I was a kid, but it was pink and had no flash. They looked similar so I put 2 and 2 together.

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


You're welcome.


reply to post by DarkspARCS

Was this fireball green - like last year's Canadian, Texan, and Russian fireballs? If so then this is yet another piece of the Perseid Cometary shower - which has been with us for decades - which NASA last year announced would be more spectacular these next couple of years more so than others.

Being green certainly would not make it a Perseid. Although the Perseids will often produce meteors that start out being green, other showers will also produce meteors that can be green.

As an example, here is a rare all green Leonid earth grazing meteor which I managed to photograph in 2001.



Also, the Perseid meteor shower is only active for a hand full or weeks during August. So you can only see Perseids during the weeks around mid-August when the shower peaks.

None of the fireballs you mentioned, that occurred last year would have been Persieds either, as I explained if you go back and read the post I made above.

Evidently every decade the shower peeks and involves a high frequency of fireball activity, all of it being a copper oxide based substance that burns green once it enters the thermosphere and actually starts to burn.

Well for starters, meteors don't actually "burn", since there is not enough oxygen at the altitude they are visible at to sustain combustion. The process by which light is produced is "ablation":

ab-la-tion
Pronunciation [a-bley-shuhn]

–noun
1. the removal, esp. of organs, abnormal growths, or harmful substances, from the body by mechanical means, as by surgery.
2. the reduction in volume of glacial ice, snow, or névé by the combined processes of melting, evaporation, and calving. Compare alimentation (def. 3).
3. Aerospace. erosion of the protective outer surface (ablator) of a spacecraft or missile due to the aerodynamic heating caused by travel at hypersonic speed during reentry through the atmosphere.

Source: dictionary.reference.com

Green light is generally produced when oxygen is excited. The green is specifically due to the Auroral Green line 0I at 5577A or 557.7 nm.

You can read a paper on the subject here.


[edit on 11-1-2010 by C.H.U.D.]

reply to post by Now_Then

Interesting - On Friday and Saturday I saw 2 impressive meteorites on each night around the same time of night and in more or less the same place in the sky... The planet must of passed through quite a bit of material, I wished I'd had a bit more time to look at the sky especially on the Friday cos the sky was so clear.

This fire ball was probably connected, I wish I'd seen something like that! - My sightings were very high level streaks, A bright quite wide white blue flash.

Last weekend (Sunday PM spesifically) was the peak of the (joint) most active meteor shower of the year. It's quite a sharp peak, but there is a good chance that the meteors you saw were Quadrantids.

Again, for the reasons I stated above, it's unlikely that there was any connection between what you saw and the Canadian fireball.

It's interesting what locally experts says about fireballs, meteorites, bolide or whatever name they want to give: How often this happen? : two years, five years, ten years, twice a year. What about the size: golf ball, baseball ball, basketball ball, sofa, table, baby todler, volkswagen,(??).
And how many meteor showers?: Quadrantid,Lyris, Eta Aquarids,Delta Aquarids, Alpha Capricornids,Perseid, Otionids, Taurids, Leonids,Geminids, Uridis, and bla,bla,bla (You want to 'learn' bout meteor showers go to www.amsmeteors.org... )
I want to have a logical and rational explanation of this fireballs (or whatever name) on the last five months:
Ontario,Canada sept 25
Mendoza,Argentina 27 sept
Ireland Oct 1
Indonesia oct 8
Netherlands oct 15 2009
Salt Lake city,utah nov 18
Johannesburgh,south africa nov 21
South of England Dec 3
North of Germany Dec 8
Auburn,Nebraska Dec 16
Beijing,China Dec 16
Mojave Desert,California Dec 17
Report over Middleton,CT Dec 19
UK (Daylight), Dec 20 (!:15 pm)
Uk, Dec 31 2009/Jan 2010
Montreal, Canada January 07 7:30 PM
I'm talking about 16 fireball that explode at high altitude. The one on Nebraska, BY COINCIDENCE AS PER THE EXPERTS, there was an earthquake exactly at the same time. And the one in Indonesia was reported by an ultrasound stations located as far as 15.000 kms.
I live in California and I saw the one in Utah (Nov 18) , 700 miles from my house. Two nights ago I saw one huge over my head at 9;32 pm.
I have my own explanation. Want to know why? Go to my channel in Youtube an find the truth. Thanks.
www.youtube.com...
note: btw I'm trying to post my videos from YT but doesn't work. Can someone tell me how to do that. Tks


[edit on 12-1-2010 by Is2012TheDate]

reply to post by Is2012TheDate


Why are there meteors and fireballs?

Because we are constantly passing through space that has dust, and rocks in it.

As for the fireball in Nebraska, the Earthquake actually happened before, not at the same time.

The truth?

Would that be truth that is based on your many years of experience in the study of meteors, or based on your unfounded opinion and assumptions?

Well probably the information of SpaceWeather.com is totally wrong:
SPACEWEATHER.COM Dec.17 2009 CURIOUS EVENTS IN NEBRASKA: "Last night, Dec. 16th at 9 p.m. CST, a very bright meteor lit up the completely overcast sky like lightning in southeast Nebraska," reports Trooper Jerry Chab of the Nebraska State Patrol. "It flashed for approximately 2 seconds and was followed by sonic booms and ground shaking, which prompted many calls by the public to law enforcement in a three county wide area." Meanwhile, the USGS says there was a magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Auburn, Nebraska, at 8:53 pm, about the same time and place as the fireball
"If the earthquake is confirmed, as it appears to be, I think we have the most cosmic of coincidences: A large fireball around the same time of an earthquake," says Chab. "I am simply amazed!"
One possible interpretation of these events is that a small asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere and caused the ground to shake when it exploded in mid-air. However, the timing might not be right. The quake seems to have preceded the fireball. Several readers have pointed out studies that associate lightning-like phenomena with earthquakes. So, the earthquake might be responsible for both the shaking and the light show. Or it might be a big coincidence just as Chab suggests?

It's interesting that the USGS earhquakes historical records of Nebraska are 1877 11 15 - Eastern Nebraska and 1964 03 28 - Merriman, Nebraska

Then probably (as the trooper said) the earthquake was the responsible for the fireball (??) We are living in a crazy world and crazines can hapen even in the universe. Yes, probably Albert Eisnten was wrong and Captain Kirk is right.

Obviously you are one of the Experts that said that this events can hapen every century, every two centuries, twice a year, every five years. It doesn't matter the answer. It looks that this event can hapen every second but that doesn't matter. I'm imagining the answer when one of this asteroids hit the earth ground: Don't worry. This event only hapen every 5 million years. What hapenned in Tunguska in 1908 is only our imagination. That never hapenned.

reply to post by Is2012TheDate


There is no doubt, and I'm with you on this universe being a crazy place, that very strange stuff does indeed goes on...

No one is saying Tunguska did not happen either, but there is no proof that Nibiru even exists, let alone it is somehow connected to fireballs and meteors.

You say we live in a crazy place, well, crazy coincidences happen from time to time, and that a fireball occurred in roughly the same area and roughly the same time is not really that huge a coincidence when you consider that Earth is continuously bombarded with dust and rocks (occasionally very big ones) from space.

I would not call myself an expert, but I have spent the last ten+ years observing and learning about all aspects of meteors and fireballs in particular, as I said above, so I'm not just speaking out of my a$$ about this.

Fireballs occur every night, all the time, and they have done since long before you or I were around. You only need to look at the surface of the Moon through a small telescope to see proof of this.

Please read the posts I made earlier in this thread carefully again, and I should also add that...

It's easy to connect two or more random events together, and come up with any picture you want. You are also allot more likely to come up with the wrong picture if you have only a few dots, and guess which ones are connected.

On the other hand, there are people who have been observing the sky for meteors for many decades, who also say exactly the same thing as me... That, "there are no more meteors now than there were in the past (on average)".

So, you saw a good sized one, and another recently, and you then did a little digging and found out that there had been more recently. Well, there have been more that are reported in the media recently, but some of us have been reading/had access to the reports for years, and it is only recently that many of these reports are seen by the public, although they are available to anyone who wants to look.

Think about what the people in 1833 must have thought when they looked out one November night to see the sky full of meteors, raining down all night. This woodcut was made after the event, and remains one of the most powerful images there is IMHO.



At the time people thought the world was coming to an end (I'm sure you can find accounts of the 1833 Leonid storm if you look). You are not the first to think that


Edit to add a couple of paragraphs from a first hand account of the 1833 storm

It must be remembered that, in the Western States, at that day, there was not much knowledge among the masses upon the subject of meteorology. No tome in a thousand could give any rational account of this wonderful phenomenon; so it will not appear strange that there was widespread alarm at this "star-shooting," so called. Some really thought that the Judgment Day was at hand, and they fell on their knees in penitence, confessing all the sins of their past lives, and calling upon God to have mercy. On our journey we heard little talked of but the "falling of the stars." All sorts of conjectures were made by all sorts of people, excepting there were but few, if any, wise conjectures, and very few wise people to make them along the way we traveled. Not a few thought it an evidence of God’s displeasure, and believed that fearful calamities would probably speedily follow. There were those who believed the Judgment Day was near at hand, and undertook to prove out of the Scriptures that this was one of the signs of the coming of the Son of Man. One old lady was emphatic in the statement that it was certainly a "token of some sign." Statements made even by good-meaning people were often quite erroneous. Some men declared that they saw great balls of fire fall into the water, and heard the sizzling noise, like that made when a red-hot iron is thrown into a slake-tub. Others thought they saw these great balls of fire bursting among the tree-tops.

We may learn of this that, when men are in a high state of excitement, their testimony must be taken with many grains of allowance. I heard of a few who professed religion under the influence of these lights. In that day, for the sinner under conviction to be able to say that he had seen a light, whether he had heard a voice or not, furnished a ready passport into almost any church in the land. I suppose the reformation produced by these meteors was like the appearance of the meteors themselves -- of very short duration. I have no faith in any repentance grounded upon objects of sense. The gospel only is the power of God unto salvation. Love to God and hatred for sin, only can work a permanent change in the life of a man; and nothing short of this can be trusted as permanent in its effects.

Source: spaceref.com

Edit #2:

I said there are some of us who know, but the beauty of it is that you don't have to take my word for it, or any body else's. Spend some time watching the sky and observing meteor showers, and learning about how and why we get them. I have posted some suggestions for sources of good info on the subject in this thread here, and I try to keep this forum updated with the latest news about meteors/meteor showers and upcoming events.

If you don't want to do that then you can contact various groups and organizations and ask them if there have been more meteors recently:
International Meteor Organization
The American Meteor Sosciety

Or, you could also search ATS, and you will see that people said the exact same thing last year, and the year before that...

This place is all about denying ignorance... please don't be ignorant of the facts in this debate, which can seem straightforward at first, and fall in to the traps that so many have fallen into in the past. The debate is not quite as straightforward as it seems at first glance.

All I can do is point you in the right direction and tell you where the pitfalls are.

[edit on 13-1-2010 by C.H.U.D.]