Meteor Sightings – Separate Incidents from 4 Different Countries, Same Week

The meteor fireball scene sure seems to be picking up steam. Just a few days ago one actually impacted (crashed) offshore Australia shaking homes and terrifying residents and then a possible fireball over Scotland. IF those didn’t give you cause for pause, here are 4 completely separate fireball sightings from this same week (all the mentioned fireballs happened all in this same week).

So aside from the above mentioned, here are the others:

Meteor fireball filmed over central Europe – 27.09.16

Spectacular meteor fireball lights up the skies over southern Spain

The fragment of Comet Encke entered our atmosphere at 111,000 kilometres an hour

More debris from the Comet Encke is likely to head our way in the coming weeks.

Stargazers enjoyed a spectacular treat on Tuesday evening as a spectacular fireball flew over the southern half of Spain, although it could be seen from more than 400 kilometers away due to its brilliant intensity and high visibility.

The phenomenon, which was caused by fragments from Comet Encke, was recorded by the Astronomical Complex of La Hita in La Puebla de Almoradiel (Toledo), who produced the video footage shown here and the astronomical observatory at Calar Alto (Almería), La Sagra (Granada) Huelva and Seville.

These observatories all collaborate in the “Smart” project which aims to monitor the sky 24 hours a day to record and study the impact of Solar System rocks against the Earth’s atmosphere. This fragment of the Encke comet fragment punched through into the Earth’s atmosphere at 10:47 local time travelling at more than 110,000 kilometers per hour and at an altitude of 111 kilometers above the province of Cuenca. The fireball moved in a northwesterly direction until burnt out about 75 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.

Ástronomers at the La Hita Complex say that in general the detached fragments of this comet are smaller than a grain of sand and every year intersect the orbit of the Earth from mid-September to late December, so this phenomenon will be repeated again in the coming weeks. When impacting the atmosphere of the Earth, these particles cause meteor showers known as “Taurids”.

Photographer captures image of slow-moving meteor fireball near Post Falls, Idaho

© Tiffany Hansen
Meteor fireball near Post Falls, Idaho

Wednesday night around 11pm FOX 28 received several reports of a bright light flashing across the sky and “loud boom.” Multiple calls came into the newsroom and messages came in on our Facebook page with everyone who saw or heard it asking the same question: “What was that?”

Call it pure luck or call it talent but one Spokane photographer happened to catch the “bright flash across the sky” in a beautiful photograph. Tiffany Hansen says she loves shooting night scenes. Wednesday night, trying to photograph the aurora lights, which were happening that night as well, she stationed herself just north of Post Falls, ID but wasn’t having any luck seeing them.

“I took one last shot and that’s when the meteor happened. It was big, very bright and moving super slow across the sky. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. I feel extremely lucky to have caught it on my camera,” Hansen said.

Hansen took up photography as a hobby a few years back and has perfected her craft overtime. She especially likes landscapes and outdoor photography.

Meteor over Srinagar India mistaken for missile attack

© Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi
The falling meteorite in Srinagar on Thursday.

Panic struck the people of Srinagar as a falling meteorite was confused for a missile, hours after India confirmed conducting surgical strikes along the border in Pakistan. Onlookers in the Jammu and Kashmir capital took the ‘missile’ as a retaliation in the aftermath of the border tension.

The Indian Army on Thursday organised surgical strikes targeting seven terror launch pads across the LoC overnight in which heliborne and ground forces were used. Addressing a press conference, DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said India inflicted “significant casualties” on terrorists and those who are trying to support them.

This is latest in the string of offensives India has launched against Pakistan since four attackers killed 19 soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri when they targetted the rear office of an Indian Army infantry installation on September 18. India has resorted to several diplomatic measures and vowed to internationally isolate Pakistan ever since.

-SOTT