Meteor in New Zealand: Don't panic !

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ulrich
  • Start date Start date
U

Ulrich

Guest
Meteor causes panic in New Zealand
-----------------------------------------


Tuesday, Sep 12 (AP)

A meteor has streaked across a large swathe of New Zealand's South Island, creating a sonic boom which sent people running from their workplaces and homes, witnesses said.

The loud boom was heard over northern and central parts of the South Island shaking buildings and rattling windows, reports said.

Kevin Graham was working in his garage workshop southwest of the city of Christchurch, when he heard the boom.
He spoke to his wife in Christchurch, who had run outside because she thought the building she was in was going to collapse.

"I ran outside because I thought my place was going to collapse as well," he said.

Matthew Miller, who was working outdoors at Ashburton, south of Christchurch, said he saw a fireball streak across the sky, although he did not hear the sonic boom reported by witnesses in areas further north.
"There was this really bright comet shooting across the sky," Miller told state radio.

"I saw it for about a second, it was travelling so fast and covered so much ground."

The resident superintendent of Canterbury University's Mount John Observatory, Alan Gilmour, said meteors were reported every few years.
"All the reports suggest it was a pretty standard meteor but large and low," he told state radio, adding it most likely broke up in the atmosphere.

******************************************************************************************

I see, only a pretty standard meteor. No need to be alarmed. Calm down and go back to bed .... :/
 
This just came out on the news here a few minutes ago. - Source. There is also a video.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It’s… vapour

Many Aucklanders thought aliens were about to land on Saturday night, while others feared a comet was going to collide with the Earth.

A fiery orange object was seen over the city, and the Auckland Observatory was besieged by calls from residents wanting to know what it was.

It turned out the object was not a threat to life as we know it, but the vapour trail of a plane, lit up by the sun which was just below the horizon.

The observatory says the lights are quite common at this time of year.

3 News
 
Well I just happen to live in Auckland and been staring at sky every other night hoping to catch a meteor or two. Completely missed this, will keep an eye out now though, Just hoping next time its not something that takes out the whole city!

-Sid
 
Found this pic on the net of a vapour trail lit by the sun and you can quite easily tell it is being made by a plane...

20090109020439_jettrailsunsetlh.jpg


Here's the one on from the news site:

vapourtrail320.jpg


Looks kinda strange...
 
Hmmm.. hard to tell, it does look kind of strange. Are there any more pics of said vapor trail?
 
Hi Perceval,

Up to this point, there are no additional pictures. Perhaps in the next couple of days someone may post additional pictures on the above website, hopefully. IMHO, that ain't no vapour trail!
 
Vulcan59 said:
Hi Perceval,

Up to this point, there are no additional pictures. Perhaps in the next couple of days someone may post additional pictures on the above website, hopefully. IMHO, that ain't no vapour trail!

I tend to agree at this point - I've never seen a vapor trail with what looks like smoke behind it.
 
anart said:
Vulcan59 said:
Hi Perceval,

Up to this point, there are no additional pictures. Perhaps in the next couple of days someone may post additional pictures on the above website, hopefully. IMHO, that ain't no vapour trail!

I tend to agree at this point - I've never seen a vapor trail with what looks like smoke behind it.

I haven't either. And, it looks to me to not be an airplane at the head of the fireball picture. It looks like a fireball. With a tail. Trailing smoke. It looks totally different than the vapor trail lit by sunlight, to me anyway.

fwiw
 

Trending content

Back
Top Bottom