Posted on 04/08/2009 9:59:50 AM PDT by gemmeg
I saw a huge fireball? in the sky last night practically sailing through our backyard, VERY CLOSE! It was at 9:47pm on Tuesday 4/7/09. I reported it to the news, I am curious if it is these galaxies colliding I have heard about? or possibly something with the talk of missiles being fired? Just curious~
Impossible. Galaxies are millions of light-years away (one LY = 5.9 TRILLION miles). Meteors are caused by tiny sand-size particles shooting through our atmosphere. Most of them are debris from passing comets. When Earth passes through the stream of debris, 'shooting stars' appear.
Anyway, glad you eventually did respond. Don't really blame you after some of the comments. And welcome aboard Starship FR!
Horrible!
One night around 2AM, I did see a bright yellow fire ball. I was driving back to the motel and it was a clear New Mexico sky filled with stars, It appeared about half way down my windshield and if you hold your arm up and extend your thumb, it was a big as your thumbnail. I did exactly that to gage the size. My first thought was, “Wow, Hobbs NM is a goner.” However it skipped out of the atmosphere and didn’t hit the ground.
I think you may be getting galaxies and comets/asteroids mixed up. Most meteors are the remnants of shredded comets or small chunks of asteroids broken off in collisions.
I believe in flying wheels of Edam, and tramping armies of Stilton. To the barricades!!!
no, It was a more singular trail it left,very pretty and it was surprisingly parallel traveling low when passing my area on East Florida Seaboard. It seemed so close we paused the TV. and much anticipated to hear sirens or some commotion of a impact. A lot of people are making fun of it on here but I think I just don’t know what it was or how to explain this well. I guess I expected these experts to jump in and say oh yes this is what it was period. Hah not quite what I got.
You joined today, your very first post is a vanity, and you didn't reply back on your own post for 70 minutes.
Sorry, that tends to raise red flags around here.
If they invite you to participate in a little close-order drill, you should say NO.
You better make sure you're at least wearing a towel! There are laws against being naked in public.
Don't take it personal. Any thread like this brings out the zany FR humor.
The first thing that came up when I searched fireball in the sky 4/7/09,was The Colliding Spiral Galaxies of Arp 274
Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio (STScI) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA): it has pictures on the astronomy pics of the day part of this FR site. I was just wondering would that occurance cause what I saw. Thanks for the Welcome, just wondering when I will get to make contact with the green men.:)
A galactic collision takes place over hundreds of millions of years.
Gotcha, Just had to pick my kid up from school. Plus there were so many posts when I returned I’m not sure how to do a post to ALL, I just replied to a few, There were MANY! And what was I going to Fight with the mean ones that just think I am bored or crazy? Still figuring this out. I only joined today so I could ask a person that might be intelligent on the subject what I saw BTW.
Not in Brattleboro, VT.
Unfortunately.
These laws exist for the protection of everyone, as can be seen:
Yes but that last moment is really rather instantaneous.
“Naked-eye” observing takes on a whole new meaning! :)
Probably a meteor, or possibly a piece of a satellite falling from orbit.
See:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2224929/posts?page=34#34
I see. I am satisfied with the info. Thx.
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