[meteorite-list] Fireballs Meteors & Meteorites

From: Meteorites USA <eric_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 12:13:05 -0700
Message-ID: <4A1C3F41.3030201_at_meteoritesusa.com>

The sky has been really quiet lately. Believe me, I'm watching...

I've been rather disappointed that there has been no big meteors
reported lately. So I was slightly curious when I ran across this little
blurb hoping it was something. Then after reading the report... Well,
let's just say that not all fireballs are meteors.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Mysterious-Lights-Near-Lebanon-Explained/04cbRHZAF0Cf_DQsy8_iXw.cspx

Skydiving anyone...?

On a side note, I'd like to ask some more questions. We've all witnessed
and are very aware of the increased number of "witnessed" meteor events
over this past year. Particularly the last 6 months or so. We're also
very aware of all the new falls, especially those two newest meteorite
falls right here in the United States and Canada. Not to mention the
probable fall north of Merced, the Flagstaff fireball, Augusta, and
another near Ontario Canada.

I've asked this question before and received mixed replies with no
definitive answers. My question still stands.

Can anyone seriously say definitively that all the recent meteor
fireballs and meteorite dropping fireball activity is NORMAL and simply
attributed to increased awareness?

The increased awareness supposedly explains the increased number of
fireball sightings. This seems likely but it is NOT the case. Look at
the Meteorite Men TV show as a perfect example of mainstream awareness.
A national primetime program that was broadcast to millions of homes
across this nation via the Science Channel. This would lead someone to
believe logically that perhaps there would be an increased awareness one
could attribute directly to this main stream broadcast. There was... But
this increased awareness is not of meteors, but of meteorites.

There has actually been decrease in reports of large meteor fireballs
over the last month. There is a big increase in news related directly to
meteorites, but NOT meteors or fireballs!

Even with more media attention on "meteorites" over the last month, I
suspect that the reason there has been decreased fireball sightings, is
simply because there have been less fireballs to see. They' are just not
falling at the rate they were a month or two ago.

Can someone explain why? Am I missing something?

-- 
Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA
http://www.meteoritesusa.com
904-236-5394

Received on Tue 26 May 2009 03:13:05 PM PDT