[meteorite-list] 5:15 UT slow, bright Mediterranean bolide

From: mexicodoug at aim.com <mexicodoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:48:10 -0400
Message-ID: <8CAAF6C366A05A4-1C04-1171_at_FWM-D44.sysops.aol.com>

This happened 6 hours ago ... in the evening
looks like it was headed from central Israel towards Crete ...
... maybe some associated noise, perhaps at least two fragments ...
extremely bright

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1000206.html

Meteor sighting sparks UFO panic in Israel
By Yigal Hai, Haaretz Correspondent

An unexpected meteor cut through Israel's skyline from east to west
Tuesday evening and disappeared shortly after, causing panic throughout
central Israel and bafflement among astronomers who failed to predict
it.

The meteor was seen by residents in the Tel Aviv area at around 8:00
P.M., leading to alarmed phone calls to the police. "Several calls were
registered in which callers described having seen a shiny trail in the
Sharon district," an Israel Police spokesman said. "We crosschecked
with the Israel Defense Forces and its ground units, and came up with
no explanation," he added.

Ram Rafaeli, A resident from Kfar Yedidya described is meteor sighting
to Haaretz. "I went on the roof of the house with my sons and we began
painting it. My eldest son turned my attention to a bright object that
left a long trail, crossing the sky from east to west. It was white and
radiant, and it shed a bright, strong and shiny light," he said.

Rafaeli explained that at one point he could no longer see the light
that divided the skies. "As I am a man of exact sciences in my
professional life, I don?t believe in aliens. It is possible that it
was a case of a meteor that entered the atmosphere, but it does not
appear that way. In any case, it was a beautiful site."
Received on Tue 08 Jul 2008 07:48:10 PM PDT