Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Satellite Sees Atmospheric Asteroid Strike (Oct 7); Ethiopian Volcano Lava Covers 115 Square Miles
October 7 and November 6

Posted on 11/06/2008 7:18:08 AM PST by cogitator

Two very interesting links below.

Ethiopia reports record volcanic eruption

First paragraph: "A volcano in Ethiopia's northeastern Afar region erupted on Monday, researchers said Wednesday, prompting a minor earthquake and record lava flows covering 300 square kilometres (115 square miles)."

Meteosat-8 Rapid Scan captures asteroid impact

First paragraph: "On 7 October, asteroid 2008 TC3 entered the atmosphere over northern Sudan and exploded. Amazingly, the Meteosat-8 Rapid Scanning Service managed to capture the impact."


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: asteroid; catastrophism; ethiopia; fireball; volcano
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last
I hope there will be some pictures of the Ethiopian volcano soon; this is plate tectonics in real-time.

My question on the second item; what if, instead of being 2-5 meters in diameter, the object had been 200-500 meters in diameter, with the same timing between discovery (the day before) and impact? What would world governments have done (and let's assume the same location scenario)?

1 posted on 11/06/2008 7:18:08 AM PST by cogitator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: cogitator

pics would be interesting for sure


2 posted on 11/06/2008 7:23:34 AM PST by tutstar (Baptist Ping list - freepmail me to get on or off.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2Trievers; headsonpikes; Pokey78; Lil'freeper; epsjr; sauropod; Miss Marple; CPT Clay; ...

** ping **


3 posted on 11/06/2008 7:28:51 AM PST by cogitator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator

Wormwood


4 posted on 11/06/2008 7:33:38 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (A Jew voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator; neverdem
A collision that with an object that large (up to 500 meters diameter) would be more immediately noticed (and demonstrated) by the EMP and seismic shock of the fireball - because it would penetrate the atmosphere easily. (Rocket parts and machinery parts larger than 5 foot usually hit the ground as solids)

Outside help? Like a earthquake, tsunami or volcano - how effective the assistance would be would depend on who was hit. A third world dictatorship steals the aid, a European-US democracy sends the aid, an Islamic/communist dictatorship prevents the aid.

5 posted on 11/06/2008 7:35:37 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator

Sobering.

“The asteroid exploded with the energy of around one kiloton, equal to the power of a small nuclear bomb. Infrasound detector arrays in Kenya also detected a sound wave from the direction of the expected impact corresponding to the energy of 1.1-2.1 kilotons of TNT.”


6 posted on 11/06/2008 7:38:20 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator
The wife and I were in Annapolis for "First Night" celebrations New Years Eve of 2003? I think. While waiting to catch the bus back to where we parked I happened to look up and saw a VERY LARGE ROCK pass just outside of our atmosphere. At least it looked like an asteroid and it was moving FAST!!!

I pointed it out to others in line so I was not the only one to see it. It was high enough up that it didn't light but it was large enough to be visible from the ground at night.

I never did hear anything about it from the press and I just can't help but feel that we somehow were spared a very bad new years morning of 2004.

7 posted on 11/06/2008 7:40:47 AM PST by bayliving (Fasten your seat belts folks! It's going to be a long bumpy ride.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator
"What would world governments have done"

A rapid pull out of all UN Troops.

8 posted on 11/06/2008 7:43:07 AM PST by Deaf Smith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator

[What would world governments have done (and let’s assume the same location scenario)?]

With a rock that size the best thing the governments could do would be to advise everyone to place their heads firmly between their knees and kiss their butts goodbye.


9 posted on 11/06/2008 7:46:32 AM PST by 43north (11.04.08: the day America committed voluntary suicide)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cogitator

Hopefully, world gov’ts would have done nothing. I’d imagine that the resulting panic would have a more devestating affect than the actual metor strike.


10 posted on 11/06/2008 7:51:06 AM PST by wbill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bayliving

How do you know it was a rock, and not a satellite?


11 posted on 11/06/2008 8:08:31 AM PST by beezdotcom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: beezdotcom
How do you know it was a rock, and not a satellite?

It was too close and it LOOKED LIKE A ROCK.

I have seen satellites on very clear nights and they always sort of flash or are just real bright in the night sky.

This was a very fast moving LARGE object very close to the edge of the atmosphere and it sort of wobbled as it moved across the sky as if rotating.

No. It wasn't a satellite.

12 posted on 11/06/2008 8:12:52 AM PST by bayliving (Fasten your seat belts folks! It's going to be a long bumpy ride.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: bayliving

I’ll have to take you at your word. But if you want to understand my skepticism, do the math. If your eye was able to resolve it as “a rock”, and it wasn’t flaming (not experiencing atmospheric friction), that sets a minimum distance and thus a minimum size for the object - a pretty LARGE size not to make the papers and set off air defense radars.


13 posted on 11/06/2008 8:22:51 AM PST by beezdotcom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: bayliving

I am not saying that you are making this up, but what you are explaining is physically impossible.


14 posted on 11/06/2008 8:44:48 AM PST by envisio (If you ain't laughin yet... you ain't seen me naked. 8^O)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: wbill

That was my thinking also.


15 posted on 11/06/2008 11:02:28 AM PST by GATOR NAVY (guess I'm just a spudboy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: envisio

That was my thinking also.


16 posted on 11/06/2008 11:19:28 AM PST by beezdotcom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: envisio
Not true at all.

Back in the mid seventies someone caught on film a meteor that "skipped" off of the earths atmosphere.

It actually got close enough to start to burn but never fell to earth given its trajectory. Like I said, it was caught on film. I have seen this film as it has been on TV shows.

So YES it is possible for a large object to come close to earth but not get drawn in by it's gravity and the speed and movement of this object pretty much ruled out its being a plane or satellite.

Why do you think it would be impossible for this to happen?

Don't forget that "OTHERS" saw it too, my wife being one of them.

17 posted on 11/06/2008 1:09:10 PM PST by bayliving (Fasten your seat belts folks! It's going to be a long bumpy ride.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: beezdotcom
that sets a minimum distance and thus a minimum size for the object - a pretty LARGE size not to make the papers and set off air defense radars.

It was not illuminated. It was just a bit brighter than the night sky and it was LARGE and very FAST. If you weren't looking in that general direction at that specific moment you would never have seen it.

I am pretty sure that our government "KNEW" about it before hand and probably "KNEW" it would just skirt our planet so why cause any undue panic.

18 posted on 11/06/2008 1:15:15 PM PST by bayliving (Fasten your seat belts folks! It's going to be a long bumpy ride.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: cogitator

Several fireballs and bolides lately:

“Roman Piffl sends this report from Slovakia: “Last night, a very bright Taurid fireball streaked over the northern horizon of Marianka near our capital city Bratislava.” He and colleagues Ivan Majchrovic and Tomas Maruska captured the meteor in this 30 second exposure”

http://www.spaceweather.com/


19 posted on 11/06/2008 1:19:45 PM PST by RightWhale (Exxon Suxx)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bayliving
If you weren't looking in that general direction at that specific moment you would never have seen it.

Aren't you the lucky one.
20 posted on 11/06/2008 1:30:52 PM PST by beezdotcom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson