[meteorite-list] Update on New England Fireball of 12-29-08

[Robert Woolard]

List,

  Thanks to several of you who have emailed me with their appreciation for my previous postings on the two recent fireballs/possible falls. I appreciate you guys taking the time to do that. 

  Here is PART of an update on the New England fireball. The map that accompanies the report can be seen by going to:

  www.spaceweather.com


NEW ENGLAND FIREBALL: On Dec. 29th, around 9:30 pm EST, a blue-green fireball 100+ times brighter than Venus soared over New England and exploded colorfully in mid-air. Onlookers saw the flash from at least nine US states: eye-witness reports.

Dan Linek of North Bay Shore, New York, was one of the eye witnesses. Combining his own observations with those of others, he created a hand-drawn map of sightings and the probable location of the fireball when it exploded:

    ********** ( see map at www.spaceweather.com )  *************


If any fragments reached the ground, they might have landed in the western half of Linek's trapezoid. (The meteor was traveling east to west.)

Believe it or not, meteors like this are not rare--they are just rarely seen.  The New England fireball stands out because it hit a densely populated area only a few hours after sunset. It was bound to be seen.