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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

S.F. man's astounding photo
Mysterious purple streak is shown hitting Columbia 7 minutes before it disintegrated

He didn't release the image to the public, instead this amateur astronomer just gave the camera and film away to NASA. If he were here, I would smack him on the back of the head.

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Top investigators of the Columbia space shuttle disaster are analyzing a startling photograph -- snapped by an amateur astronomer from a San Francisco hillside -- that appears to show a purplish electrical bolt striking the craft as it streaked across the California sky.

The digital image is one of five snapped by the shuttle buff at roughly 5:53 a.m. Saturday as sensors on the doomed orbiter began showing the first indications of trouble. Seven minutes later, the craft broke up in flames over Texas.

The photographer requested that his name not be used and said he would not release the image to the public until NASA experts had time to examine it.

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Complete story here: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/05/CAMERA.TMP


Of course, we will never see this mysterious photo. Way to go Einstein!

[stargazer]

Thanks for the link Joe,

I hope NASA does release this photo. I am sure that alot of people will want to see it. I know i do.

B

[starbux]

If I read correctly it was the photographer who will decide when to release the photo. If NASA may have known in advance that the astronauts were possibly doomed, then they have already withheld information from the public. NASA should not be the one to decide whether the public is ready to see the photo or not. NASA got to see the photo first, now is the time for everyone else to see it too.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I very much doubt that NASA will return any of the guy's articles back. I would have made copies and laid out a timeline. If NASA doesn't meet it, on to the net it goes.

I would figure NASA claimed an accident occurred to the film, and lost. The individual was in the drivers seat, and held the strings, but renounced it all by thinking he was a good American. Can't be considered theft because he willingly handed the evidence over. Such a dope.

Now it's fallen under Homeland Security guidelines and Purple bolt or not, we will never know.