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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Yet another account of the meteor stream impacting the Earth. I did not hear anything about this anywhere. I wonder why.

_______________________________

Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 12:53:05 -0000
From: "P Berry" <[e-mail]>

Subject: Big BOOM!

On Sunday evening, July 4, 2004, at about 8-ish, we were all gathered
around the table for the Fourth of July celebrations, PLUS the
birthday of my grand daughter, age 8. There was a thunder storm
raging out side, with lots of lightning (Florida is the Lightning
Capital of the United States, actually, lightning ground zero is at
Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, about 70 miles South of us).

One loud BOOM and flash, shook the house (middle unit in a five condo
building with two stories), rattled all of the windows! Well, it was
a METEOR the size of a VW Bus!

It hit and made a crater, about two miles West of us Near Dog Track
Road and Highway 17-92, North of Altamonte, Florida, in Seminole
County! About 30 miles North of Orlando, Orange County, Florida.
About 15 miles South of Sanford, just South of Longwood, Florida
(Seminole County).

Landing across the street from a home, in a vacant lot, all the
windows in that home were blown out! The resident, a middle aged lady,
was lucky to escape any injury.

The FBI surrounded the place of impact, and, on Tuesday morning we
witnessed that NASA folks were on the site, in decon suits.

NO media notice was mentioned at all, until FINALLY, on the radio,
WDBO, 580 AM, on Thursday, July 8, 2004, at 07:35 during the news, on
this 'talk radio station'.

[stargazer]

Joe

Where did you hear this from. I didnt hear anything about it either. You would think something that big would be National News. If NASA was there why didnt they say anything. I wonder if there is a way of getting any reports on it. It would be interesting to read about.

B

[TheCriticalEye]

I thnk it would have to be TRUE first.
An event that big the local news would be all over it. But 4 days later on an AM radio broadcast?
I for one am very skeptical of unproven stories. ;D

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

That was the only account that I read or heard of regarding the meteorite. Either it got so hush-hushed, or it was a phony. I tend to say it was phony as well.

I wonder of Bigfoot saw it?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

There have been respenses to this topic, but they are better served under the "Unexplained Phenomenon in Astronomy" subject of this forum.

Sorry for the confusion.

[cheeseburger]

I was out in the hottub this morning at 5:45 AM and saw a small explosion followed by a trail of light and smoke and fire. I was in North Ft Myers FL and looking toward the east and the event was traveling from the south toward the north.
Any idea what this was .... it sure looked like a meteor.

Cheeseburger

[stargazer]

Cheeseburger

Most likely you saw a Fireball. They do hapen allover the place and at any time of day. I have seen some brilliant ones during the day. There is a web site you can reportthem to. I will post it in here later.

Becky

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Cheeseburger,

Thank you for registering as a member of the Chicago Astronomer and for your first meteoric post...

We are in the peak of the "Leonid" Meteor shower right now, and most likely what you saw is a great fireball from that annual event. Fireballs are quite cool and fun to watch as they leave behind them a train of debris and smoke...glowing like embers of a campfire. Sometimes multiple explosions follow the main meteor as it pushes thru our atmosphere. In quiet locations, some have heard the meteor explode and break apart.

Usually the size of the particles are no larger than a grain of sand, so perhaps your meteor was a pebble size object or larger. I am quite confidant that what you saw was a large fragment of the Leonid. Congrats!

Hot tub in Florida at the end of November......

Cheeseburger, where do I sign up?