Posted on 04/04/2014 6:34:08 AM PDT by Red Badger
It sounds like a remarkable story, almost unbelievable: Anders Helstrup went skydiving nearly two years ago near Hedmark, Norway and while he didn’t realize it at the time, when he reviewed the footage taken by two cameras fixed to his helmet during the dive, he saw a rock plummet past him. He took it to experts and they realized he had captured a meteorite falling during its “dark flight” — when it has been slowed by atmospheric braking, and has cooled and is no longer luminous.
Norwegian astrophysicist Pål Brekke confirmed to Universe Today that the story is true. “I was part of the investigation – and kept secret for two years – in hope of finding the meteorite,” Brekke said via Twitter.
Since the search for the meteorite has come up empty so far, Helstrup’s story and video has been released in an effort to recruit more people to look for the rock.
“It has been a little hard to keep it as a secret,” Helstrup told Universe Today via email, “but everyone has been loyal to the project and helped us out!”
You can watch a slower version in the video below.
Helstrup has been searching with friends, family and volunteers after getting advice from experts from the Geological Museum in Oslo, Norwegian Space Centre and Norwegian meteor network, making painstaking efforts to pinpoint the location of where the meteorite fell.
“The meteorite has for sure some possible hiding spots,” Helstrup said. “There is a forest with lots of different places it can easily disappear. Even if there is several areas where it would be found easily, there is a river, some marshy spots and areas and lots of high grass. Therefore the best chance of a finding would be in springtime. But we have high hopes!”
Finding the rock would provide the definitive confirmation it really was a space rock that Helstrup captured on film. And in fact, it is Helstrup who might be most skeptical this was a meteor. There are experts who say there is no doubt.
“It can’t be anything else,” said geologist Hans Amundsen, quoted in the Norwegian publication NRK. “The shape is typical of meteorites – a fresh fracture surface on one side, while the other side is rounded.”
He added that the meteorite may have been part of a larger rock that had exploded perhaps 20 kilometers above Helstrup.
What if the rock would have hit Helstrup or his diving partner? Amundson said the rock would have cut him in half.
“Imagine a 5 kilo rock hitting you in the chest at 300 kilometers per hour,” Amundson says in the video. “That would have led to quite an accident investigation.”
This is unique because this is the first time a meteor in dark flight has been captured on film.
“Fireballs entering the atmosphere have been filmed many times,” says Morten Bilet in the video. Bilet is a meteorite expert. “This is unique because it was filmed during its so called “dark flight” – after it has been burned out. That’s never been done before so this is something new and exciting.”
We’ve asked Helstrup to keep us posted if the meteorite is found.
You can read more about the story from NRK, and the Norwegian Space Center, and the Norwegian Meteorite Society.
An utterly incredible event; the film is absolutely a must-see.
I think it is not a meteor- it is going way too slow.
I thing someone tossed a rock out of the plane
WOW I got Mr. Mercat a gopro for Christmas. Fortunately he doesn’t jump out of airplanes. Great bicycle shots though.
I agree plus it would be smoking hot!
Fifth or sixth post of the debris falling out when the parachute canopy opened.
This was posted earlier. Someone suggested it was something that got left inside the parachute when it was packed.
Small meteors are cool when they land but this wasn’t a meteor. It was an April Fools joke.
Holy ****.
Wow that’s sort of amazing. Neat, thanks.
Could have fallen from the plane or the pocket of the other skydiver.
Generally you pack your own chute, and there isn’t room for the rock in the space. That is a BS story.
I would also think there might be sound associated with something traveling as fast as a meteorite going by.
Photoshopped. Plus, I couldn’t see it. And, it was aliens. It doesn’t exist. Because Obama.
Yes, could have been, but.... the footage sure looks convincing to me.
There is another link below the original, in the article.
The second link has a slow-mo video.
It seems authentic.
I think you’re right. I can’t imagine a meteorite slowing down to terminal velocity.
An utterly incredible event; the film is absolutely a must-see.
..................................................
Not
Although ... the rock as it flew by him, did not seem to have been burned or melted in any way.
Maybe it was knocked out of the plane.
The odds of getting hit skydiving are far, far lesser than riding a bicycle..................
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