Upper Midwest Meteor Event - WI, MN, ?

WAOW TV-9 Wausu Wisconsin ^ | Wednesday January 5, 2005 | Milwaukee_Guy

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Appears to be a rather large and widely reported event. Reports from the upper tier of counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Reports of dazzling lights, booms and earth shaking rumbles are being reported by numerous media sources.

Interestingly these reports are not isolated to the Upper Midwest. Over the last few months most areas of the country are reporting loud booms, deep rumbling, night flashes and bright lights streaking through the atmosphere.

Are we seeing an uptick in meteor activity lately?

[MisterRepublican]

Global Warming™? Carl Rove?

[Rakkasan1]

just more HARP testing. I'm putting my tin foil hat back on and going back in Senator Dayton's bunker.

[brbethke]

So, whadaya think? "Giant Spider Invasion" or "Day of the Triffids?"

[dead]

We ignore Kyoto at our own peril.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Apparently the same Tuesday night event. This time witnessed in Minnesota.

---

What Was in the Sky?

Hundreds of People Report Lights, Fireball, in Minneapolis Sky
January 4, 2005
WSAW-TV

We've been taking calls from dozens of viewers all across the area, from Rib Falls, Plover, Marshfield, Merrill, Mole Lake, Antigo and everywhere in between, all describing the same thing:

They tell us about 6:15 Tuesday night, the sky lit up followed by a loud rumble.

Some describe a fast moving object that looked like a huge 4th of July firework or a ball of flames, others say they felt their entire houses rumble.

We've spent Tuesday evening trying to track down some answers...and the bottom line is we just don't know for sure exactly what it was.

However, the Federal Aviation Administraton tells us it *wasn't* any kind of a plane or aircraft.

The FAA in Minneapolis is reporting the light in the sky was probably from a meteor. That's also what some area law enforcement agencies tell us.

One thing everyone agrees on...it was a sight to behold.

"It's probably the most incredible sight i've ever seen, a huge trail of light ball of fire moving across the sky, i've seen a lot of things this was just an incredible sight," says Anne Hanzel.

"Here i see this light it looks like a spotlight shining on me and i just started running cause i was scared," says Dustin Genrich.

It really just sounds like this was an incredible sight...and these accounts were only two out of dozens of calls we took earlier on Tuesday evening.

The similarities...everyone seems to have the same story.

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/1324506.html

[Milwaukee_Guy]

It's Bush's fault!

[Constitution Day]

"Aaaah!! The atmosphere! AAAAAAHHHH!!"

[bahblahbah]

Meteors are evil. That's why Muslims worship one.

[eccentric]

the BLOB!!!

[txhurl]

damn

[Echo Talon]

I was lying on the couch the other night watching a football game in my living room and I have a half round window above my
main window in the font of my house for some reason I looked out the little window and saw a shooting star. It was VERY BRIGHT and the trail was LONG! I live in MN

[Fudd]

It could have been a former Soviet ICBM.

The story goes that Surrey University (UK) paid Russia $6M for them to launch a microsat on a former ICBM. Day before the launch, a crew of about 6 people go to the silo site. In a garage near the silo, they put the satellite package on the mounting plate that used to hold MIRV warheads. The nose cone is reattached, and the rest of the evening is spent drinking vodka.

The next morning, the Russians pick up the payload with an army truck and carry it over to the silo, manhandle the cover off the silo, and attach the package to the ICBM. This is two hours before launch.

About an hour before launch, the Russian in charge realizes that he forgot to change the missile's guidance program. No problem, another trip to the silo fixes it. Where was this missile supposed to go? Somewhere in North America, after that it's a State Secret.

At launch time, Russian in charge looks at his watch and presses the red button. No countdown, no ceremony.

[Blzbba]

I, for one, welcome our new Meteor Overlords.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

That's one of those stories that is -so- good, it's probably true!

[Delbert]

Hopefully It's The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and it will be Angelina Jolie.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Meteor burns over northeast counties

Residents, officer report hearing sonic boom
By JESSE GARZA
jgarza@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 4, 2005

An apparent meteor and accompanying sonic boom Tuesday evening over northeast Wisconsin prompted scores of telephone calls to law enforcement authorities, a Shawano County sheriff's sergeant said.

Sgt. Dennis Kleman said reports of the meteor sighting were made in Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Langlade and Shawano counties between 6 and 6:15 p.m.

Kleman himself spotted the meteor while patrolling in the westbound lane of county Highway A about four miles west of Gresham, he said.

"It had a really bright tail," said Kleman, who noticed a bright flash in his windshield coming from the northeast.

"It came over the top of my squad. It didn't appear to be coming down. It went across," Kleman said. "It went toward the southwest and looked like it extinguished."

There were no reports of the object landing, but it is suspected of causing the sonic boom Kleman and others heard shortly after it flashed.

"It was well up in the sky," the deputy said. "It was just a matter of a second, then it went out."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/jan05/290213.asp

[ravingnutter]

Several meteors were scheduled to appear during this period. Nothing unusual, it's just that the info was not widely disseminated.

[Recovering Hermit]

"Day of the Triffids?"

Whatever you do...DON'T LOOK AT IT!!!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"I, for one, welcome our new Meteor Overlords."

LOL. Suck up. ;)