Posted on 11/19/2014 12:02:42 PM PST by McGruff
This is the moment an explosively bright orange flash briefly illuminated the sky above a remote region in central Russia.
Locals compared the bright orange glow with what they would have expected from a nuclear explosion and many managed to capture the images in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region in the Urals in pictures and video.
But despite the ample illustrations online, neither astrologist's or emergency services in the region so far have managed to come up with an explanation for exactly what is happening.
Scientist Viktor Grokhovsky, who is a member of the meteorites committee of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said he believed it was a massive meteor that had nevertheless burned up just at it got above the cloud creating the glare. He said: "It looks as if it disintegrated before it hit the Earth and illuminated the whole sky in the process."
However, a meteor-watching blog quotes Marco Langbroek of the Dutch Meteor Society saying: "I doubt this one is a meteor."
He points out that the onlookers already seemed to be aware of a red glow in the sky before the flare-up — and that when the light does appear, it was stationary. "To me, it looks like a fire or series of small explosions and subsequent large explosion or flash fire reflecting on a cloud deck," he concluded.
A local news site suggested there was an old chemical plant outside the nearby town of Rezh, the explosion of which would be consistent with this phenomenon, and one local on the forum of Astronomy.ru wrote there were also reports of the military setting off ammunition. A local council official was quoted as saying that it might have been a controlled disposal of ammunition by the military, but the military denied this was the case.
"No exercise and training were underway on that day, and no military units are based in the region, so we have nothing to do with it," a military press service told E1.ru.
Regional emergency services said no accidents in connection with the event had been recorded. No sound of explosion has been reported either.
The other popular explanation was that it was a space launch as there are launches made from the Plesetsk cosmodrome which is in the area. But, according to Russian Federal Space Agency's website, the latest launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome happened on October 29, with the next one planned for November 24.
TUNGUSKA!!
Not my fault.
The caption says it was from a gas truck explosion.
I say BS. It looks like the flash from a nuke test. I’ve watched enough documentary videos on these things to think so.
Big fire on the ground.
Can anyone actually expect the Russian official authorities to tell the truth about what it is?
Something on the ground was taking place. Reference post three.
I would caution folks not to see this as a massive ball in the air. It is a temporary reflection off clouds that lasted a little over five seconds.
Why did so many catch this on video? It is because the human eye could pick up a low grade reflection prior to the massive flare-up.
The brilliance of the flare-up overpowered the cameras that were set to a low light exposure, prior to the flare-up. If the sky had been lit when the videos were started, the cameras would have started off at that light intensity. Then the reflected light would have appeared much more realistically.
I suspect there was something burning on the ground. I also suspect that what we are seeing is the result of that fire causing and explosion.
I can’t say exactly what it is, but these videos are consistant with that type of activity.
A nuclear explosion would have remained brilliant for a much longer period, and those taking the video linked in post three would have been harmed.
You’ll also note no resultant nuclear wind effect. Sorry if that’s not exactly the proper terminology. Perhaps not nuclear shock wave and resultant damage would have been more accurate.
Meteor would have had similar effects, blast area, flash etc.
I would agree except for the video that shows something resembling a fire on the ground. I also note that people had enough time to take out their cameras and begin shooting video, something not likely if on a couple of seconds long had taken place.
In that instance the big ball of fire could be the first thing they would see, what with cloud cover and all.
At least that is my reasoning.
Not a nuke. Light dimmed much too soon.
Too bad the meteor didn’t land on the White House .....purifying it from the Obola evil staunch !!!
I typed too fast.
Meteor would have same effect as a nuke.
Minus the fallout though.
“Zirki!!” -Jerry Sheegan from Enemy Mine.
astrologist’s?...........................
Russians keep their dashboard cameras running at all time as a form of self-protection. That’s why the great car-crash footage comes out of Russia. (Plus they’re mostly drunk and insane.)
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.