* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Sighting Over Co. Meath IRELAND

Blobrana · L

Another small, but perhaps significant point, is that all the reports indicate there was no midair explosions or large break-up or disintegration of the object. This may mean that it was fairly solid, perhaps metallic (eg nickel-iron). And the colour reported by eyewitnesses also support the idea that it had a nickel-iron composition.
However a re-entering satellite is also metallic, and has typically a shallow entry angle, which can produce a long lived fireball (especially considering that the satellite in question had already been disrupted).

Blobrana · L

The meteorite that landed somewhere over the northern part of Ireland could be worth in excess of $41,000.
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Blobrana · L

Today, people living in Cavan were searching for remnants of what is believed to have been a small asteroid, following reports it may have hit the ground in the townland of Crimlin.
People in several parts of Dublin and around the country reported sightings of the fireball.
Today FM presenter Tim Kelly told the Herald today he saw the fireball as it seemed to streak across the sky over Dublin.
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Ed ~ See the meteor track map posted earlier

Blobrana · L

The activity described variously as a flare or a bright green or white light was reported almost simultaneously in Bantry, Co Cork and Ballybunnion Co Kerry. At about 6pm Valentia Coast Guard said it had a number of sightings from people across the region.
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Blobrana · L

I just rechecked some NORAD data and i missed a piece of Cosmos debris that re-entered the Earths atmosphere sometime on the 3rd February. Same orbital angle and direction as the suspected meteor, but the position and time are not constrained.

Expand (26kb, 839 x 557)
At 18:00 GMT, 3rd February, 2010

TLE Data

COSMOS 2251 DEB (02-03-2010)
1 34289U 93036MK  10033.38978888 +.00007478 +00000-0 +62176-3 0 02964
2 34289 073.9242 030.7965 0222972 239.4453 118.4474 14.81477506051704
1 34289U 93036MK  10032.44437555 +.00008146 +00000-0 +67648-3 0 02963
2 34289 073.9242 032.6784 0223175 241.5710 116.2810 14.81468797051566
1 34289U 93036MK  10033.11966995  .00007726  00000-0  64235-3 0  2954
2 34289 073.9241 031.3344 0222953 240.0890 117.7802 14.81475332 51660
1 34289U 93036MK  10032.10671744  .00008353  00000-0  69416-3 0  2949
2 34289 073.9242 033.3498 0222986 242.3694 115.4125 14.81464885 51514
1 34289U 93036MK  10031.43142049  .00008879  00000-0  73753-3 0  2936
2 34289 073.9245 034.6954 0223046 243.8110 113.9830 14.81459077 51417

Blobrana · L

The search is on in Ireland for a meteor that crashed from the heavens last night and that could be worth a small fortune. An astronomy group is hoping to use the web to triangulate from reports where the space rock may have landed.
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Blobrana · L

Ed ~ i should have mentioned that i checked yesterday the NORAD data for re-entering space junk and that it came up negative.
So, it seems that it was a small meteoroid, not associated with any meteor shower (Cetus/Pisces), with a fairly shallow entry angle.

Blobrana · L

Astronomy Ireland's David Murphy said the fireball only lasted a couple of seconds and the footage on YouTube is probably a rocket launch and not a meteor.
The only footage that may have been filmed of the fireball, he says, is likely to come from security cameras that may have caught the meteorite falling.
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Blobrana · L

On the evening of February 3rd, a huge fireball was seen by thousands of people in Ireland. This fireball was a large rock - possibly the size of a car - striking our atmosphere and blazing into flames, a sight seen be so many all over the country.
This asteroid may have made its way to the ground, and Astronomy Ireland is seeking reports from anyone who may have seen it.
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