[meteorite-list] Denver Fireball Likely A Meteor

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:06:56 2004
Message-ID: <200210071613.JAA05931_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_1463573,00.html

Fireball in sky likely a meteor
By Bill Scanlon
Rocky Mountain News
October 7, 2002

The orange and green object streaking across the sky Sunday night wasn't a bird, a
plane, Superman or a hallucination in the minds of fans celebrating the Broncos'
victory.

It was a meteor, say meteorite research team members at the Denver Museum of
Nature and Science, and perfectly sober people saw it, too.

About 7:20 p.m., calls came flooding in from people all over the Front Range - from
Fort Collins, Boulder, Estes Park, Wheat Ridge, Aurora and Loveland, said Julia
Taylor, senior public relations manager at the museum.

"It's looking like what people are describing has the characteristics of a meteor,"
Taylor said. As the meteor burns and cools, its chemical composition changes
colors, flashing brilliants reds, oranges, blues and greens.

Most callers described a red and orange fireball with a green tail, streaking west at
unfathomable speeds.

When such an object is in the air, it is called a meteor, When it hits the ground, it
becomes a meteorite.

The meteorite research team wants to hear from people on the Western Slope -
especially around Grand Junction and Durango - so they can hone in on where the
meteor might have landed.

People on the Western Slope who saw the meteor are invited to go to the meteor
tracking Web site, www.cloudbait.com and send an e-mail, describing what they
saw.

The research team also wants to hear from anyone who may have videotaped it.

Meteors aren't terribly uncommon, but are always spectacular when they streak
close by.

Although the meteor looked almost close enough to snag, it could have been
hundreds of miles away, Taylor said.
Received on Mon 07 Oct 2002 12:13:40 PM PDT