Topic: NEW ENGLAND FIREBALL (Northeast)

[The Postman]

http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/fireballreports_29dec08.htm?PHPSESSID=l6km3fjs1u5pleprt2cerebpm6

webmaster@spaceweather.com

NEW ENGLAND FIREBALL: Last night, Dec. 29th at 9:30 p.m. EST, sky watchers in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey witnessed a magnitude -9 fireball that exploded colorfully in mid-flight. No one knows if fragments of the meteoroid reached the ground. Readers, if you saw or photographed this event, please submit a report. Updated: Eye-witness accounts

seen from MD to Bangor ME

[The Postman]

NEW ENGLAND FIREBALL: On Dec. 29th, around 9:30 pm EST, a blue-green fireball 100+ times brighter than Venus soared over New England and exploded colorfully in mid-air. Onlookers saw the flash from at least nine US states: eye-witness reports.

Dan Linek of North Bay Shore, New York, was one of the eye witnesses. Combining his own observations with those of others, he created a hand-drawn map of sightings and the probable location of the fireball when it exploded:



If any fragments reached the ground, they might have landed in the western half of Linek's trapezoid. (The meteor was traveling east to west.)

Believe it or not, meteors like this are not rare--they are just rarely seen. Fireballs a hundred times brighter than Venus streak over some part of Earth once every day or so. The vast majority are never noticed. About 70% streak over uninhabited ocean. Half appear during the day, invisible in sunny skies. Many are missed simply because they occur in the middle of the night when sky watchers are asleep. The New England fireball stands out because it hit a densely populated area only a few hours after sunset. It was bound to be seen.

No one can predict where the next fireball will appear, so keep looking up!

[Nemesis]

Its the Martians trying to return to Grover's Mill.

[knightstorm]

Its the Martians trying to return to Grover's Mill.

Why would they want to return in the middle of cold season?

[Nemesis]

Its the Martians trying to return to Grover's Mill.

Why would they want to return in the middle of cold season?

In the Martian cold season the white stuff falling from the sky is dry ice.  Our winter is tropical for them.

[knightstorm]

Its the Martians trying to return to Grover's Mill.

Why would they want to return in the middle of cold season?

In the Martian cold season the white stuff falling from the sky is dry ice.  Our winter is tropical for them.

I was referring to the virus that killed them off last time.

[MUSA]

Very cool report. Meteor fireballs are rare and to have so many witnesses to this event is very significant. When there's a fireball that's seen by so many people it make it that much more interesting.

I'm researching this fireball sighting and if anyone could contact me it would be greatly appreciated. I've written a short article with more detail on it here: http://www.meteoritesusa.com/blog/meteorite-news/meteor-fireball-in-new-england/

All comments are appreciated, and if you have any info on this fireball please report it.

Regards,
Eric
MUSA

[The Postman]

If you look at the line between Springfield and Worcester in the map above, I live about 1/3 the distance on the springfield side of that line. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything, But I probably am in the "impact area" if there is one.

[Nemesis]

Its the Martians trying to return to Grover's Mill.

Why would they want to return in the middle of cold season?

In the Martian cold season the white stuff falling from the sky is dry ice.  Our winter is tropical for them.

I was referring to the virus that killed them off last time.

Ah thats what you meant.  Except it wasn't a virus.

In another moment I had scrambled up the earthen rampart and stood upon its crest, and the interior of the redoubt was below me. A mighty space it was, with gigantic machines here and there within it, huge mounds of material and strange shelter places. And scattered about it, some in their overturned war-machines, some in the now rigid handling-machines, and a dozen of them stark and silent and laid in a row, were the Martians--dead!--slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared; slain as the red weed was being slain; slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.

[knightstorm]

Hmm.  Its been a while since I read it.  For some reason, I thought it was the common cold.

[Nemesis]

Hmm.  Its been a while since I read it.  For some reason, I thought it was the common cold.

I've seen it stated as the common cold and as athletes foot.  Perhaps in either the radio or movie versions they said that but I went to the original source (as posted on Project Gutenberg)

According to IMBD.com the 1953 version has the following quote:

Commentary: [voiceover] The Martians had no resistance to the bacteria in our atmosphere to which we have long since become immune. Once they had breathed our air, germs, which no longer affect us, began to kill them. The end came swiftly. All over the world, their machines began to stop and fall. After all that men could do had failed, the Martians were destroyed and humanity was saved by the littlest things, which God, in His wisdom, had put upon this Earth.