Posted on 06/02/2016 4:16:37 PM PDT by BiggerTigger
A huge streak of light brightened the sky early Thursday morning, prompting worry and curiosity from many Valley residents.
The first reports came in right around 4 a.m. from around the Valley and even in areas like Yuma, Flagstaff and Pine Top. Several callers also reported feeling the ground shake.
After dawn, a strange trail of cloud-like patterns was left in the sky.
NASA estimates a small asteroid, approximately 10 feet in diameter with a mass in the tens of tons, entered the atmosphere above Arizona just before 4 a.m. Reports place the object 57 miles above the Tonto National Forest, east of Payson. It was last seen 22 miles above the forest.
According to NASA, there were no reports of any damage or injuries, only light and sonic booms.
NASA believes there are meteorites scattered on the ground north of Tucson.
NASA is having difficulties obtaining data on the fireball because many cameras were saturated by the bright light.
The Arizona Geological Survey's seismic network didn't pick up any impacts. Michael Conway of the survey says that could mean the object broke up in the sky and that the impacts of any remnants were too small to be recorded.
Astronomy expert Steve Kates, better known as "Dr. Sky", said it's a very likely chance that it was a meteor bolide, meaning "brighter than the sun".
Dr. Sky says there's also a very good chance that debris hit the ground, judging by its apparent size.
Laurence Garvie, curator of the Center for Meteorite Studies at Arizona State University, says radar footage shows that meteorites may have fallen to the ground early Thursday morning near the eastern Arizona community of Cibecue.
The American Meteor Society is also investigating Thursday's event.
Come on, I KNOW there is someone who can paste Hillary!’s
head into that martian’s helmet.
I heard the booms but never thought to look outside.
Just saw the GIF almost posted it.
“...it was a meteor bolide, meaning “brighter than the sun...”
-
Wrong.
Good catch.
One definition describes a bolide as a fireball reaching an apparent magnitude of −14 or brighter - more than twice as bright as the full moon.[4] Another definition describes a bolide as any generic large crater-forming impacting body whose composition (for example, whether it is a rocky or metallic asteroid, or an icy comet) is unknown.[5]
A superbolide is a bolide which reaches an apparent magnitude of −17 or brighter.[4][6] Recent examples of superbolides include the Sutter's Mill meteorite and the Chelyabinsk meteor.
Why...The martians are better looking?
Besides, have you seen Hillary's cankles??? Nobody would believe she's a martian.
I just hope Slim Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” has the same effect...
Cibecue is an Apache town with an excellent little trout stream running through it. Wild, beautiful country.
It would take great effort to clean up...but would be worth it.
(Oh...ASTeroids...never mind...)
Animation of Orbit and Approach of June 2, 2016 Arizona Fireball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn7TcnWvXi4
Meteor over Arizona. 02 June 2016 on I40 headed east. [warning language]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-KED81DO5c
Phoenix Arizona Meteor trail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN—uCY0LUY
I saw a strange brief light through my dark shades, thought I was imagining it, then heard and felt the sonic boom. My first thought was someone just nuked Phoenix. I got up, looked that the South mountain blinkies were still blinking, satisfied we weren’t under attack I went back to bed.
This thing woke us up at 4am,damn loud
1/2 way on a straight line between PHX and the NM border.
Thanks for the link!!
It was crazy!!! My daughter saw the light.
But its great when you cant sleep in the middle of the night
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