Wow...Meteor!

[PaulW]

Thanks!

[opihikao]

Aloha kakahiaka, all!

FYI: (*Hawaii News Now)

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29922...iian-skies

Many residents across the state observed unusual streaks of light or a “fireball” over Hawaiian skies late Sunday night, raising questions about what it could possibly be.

More than 10 people reported the sighting around 11 p.m. to the American Meteor Society, a non-profit scientific organization that researches meteor astronomy.

An official with NASA's orbital debris program told Hawaii News Now early Monday morning that based on investigations, the object was likely the re-entry of a Russian payload -- Cosmos 1315 -- launched in 1981.

The sighting also created a lot of buzz on the Hawaii News Now Facebook page with dozens of users posting videos and photos of the curious event.



Photos: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/slideshow?widgetid=168613&slideshowimageid=1

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

NASA's orbital debris program told Hawaii News Now... the object was likely the re-entry of a Russian payload -- Cosmos 1315 -- launched in 1981

I don't know for certain where the identification for the "meteor" originated, but there's a very good possibility it came from the AMOS orbital tracking facility on Haleakala.

Anyone who was outside in Hawaii last night had to have looked up and asked themselves "what is that?" I'm not a betting man but I would put down cash money that if there are any protectors "not" camping on Mauna Kea or Haleakala, they too looked into the sky and asked themselves and anyone around them, "I wonder what that was?"

Thanks to our observatories here in Hawaii, this morning we have the answer. Sometimes humans don't even realize they are looking for the answer to something until the question pops into their own mind. Fortunately, there are others who are already looking ahead, and realize what might be in the heavens to discover, and with their anticipation they build the observatories we will need to make great discoveries and answer big, big questions in the future.

Where would we be this morning if the AMOS Observatory was never built, and there had been no way to track an old Russian satellite?
We'd be saying, "What was that? I donno. What do you think?"

A 34 year old Russian spacecraft would have been the last thing I'd have guessed.

[PunaMauka2]

"Fireballs are generally bright, but are like shooting stars in that they appear and disappear very quickly."



TomK, I guess I was thinking of the video clips of fireballs we had shared in this thread - http://www.punaweb.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20238&whichpage=2&SearchTerms=fireball

Perhaps those were a more unusual variety which remain visible for some time as they slowly streak through the sky.

"The 1972 Great Daylight Fireball" clips you shared were unreal...

http://youtu.be/wIv7wL9nWMQ
http://youtu.be/4WlCfuPrszU



I'm still fascinated by the fact that I just happened to be in the vicinity on the date in 2006 when this one was captured on video in the Tokyo area (too bad I wasn't looking up at the moment):

http://sonotaco.jp/forum/viewtopic.php?t=912
http://sonotaco.sub.jp/report/2006/20060...tml#anchor

[Guest]

Interesting logic there HOTPE, hail to the observatories. What a relief to know that was only Russian space junk falling through our skies last night, instead of a fireball or meteorite.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/exti...in-hawaii/

A couple more extra large Telescopes (TMT) cemented on our hawaiian summits should help ensure we put the Hawaiian race on the extinction list as well?

JMO here, Someday our Grandkids should know the difference between falling stars, meteorites, or countries space debris. What they may not have is the opportunity to know a full blooded Hawaiian, unless we can change our ways?. The real light show from the heavens has been burning within the Hawaiian people of late, many just choose not to see it.

http://www.angelfire.com/big09a/RathVCon...Hawns.html

[PunaMauka2]

puke

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The real light show from the heavens has been burning within the Hawaiian people of late, many just choose not to see it.

Almost ready for reentry gypsy?


(TMT) cemented on our hawaiian summits should help ensure we put the Hawaiian race on the extinction list

???

I would like to ask you gypsy, when you saw the "meteor" last night or a photo of it this morning, what was the first thing you said to yourself or the person you were with? ...

OK, what about the second thing?

[kalakoa]

Someday our Grandkids should know the difference between falling stars, meteorites, or countries space debris.

The Great Dumbing-Down of America (brought to you by NIMBYs everywhere) basically guarantees that this won't be happening here.

[Guest]

Hotpe, answering your morning question. I thought it was nearly dude, first thought was maybe its part of the Chinese new years celebrations? Second thought was, must be the new age pacific rim war games held off island. Third thought was Harp or american hurricane control experiments. (Seriously though hotpe, I thought it was manmade space junk.)

Back in the early 80's in kona, I was very fortunate to witness Hale's commit and a rare fireball with the naked eye.

This may have been the man made space junk some saw last night?
http://m.space.com/29332-doomed-russian-...craft.html

This could happen to you next?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eE-MnBKMiA4

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Seriously though hotpe, I thought it was manmade space junk.

Then I give you credit for a finely tuned eye. You might want to put your application in over at the AMOS satellite tracking facility on Maui.

Now, one last question. Could you recognize by the burning smell of the smoky vapor tail that it was Russian? Or did you think the geothermal plant had launched something?