Huge bollide over Melbourne just now

[rustigsmed]

Did anyone see it? Slow moving travelling from east -south -east, headed to in a north-north- westerly direction, magnitude ? I'm guessing -12 way brighter and larger than Venus, huge trail and lots of 'sparking' / splintering. Probably visible for about 40 seconds I tried to video on my phone but stuffed it - I can't believe I stuffed it I thought I was recording but must have double tapped record so it didn't.. I had time to go up stairs as it just kept going and recorded me moving between locations :(

[John K]

Also observed from Brunswick at elevation of about 30 degrees - 10 degree tail - as bright as Venus or more - huge object.

All the way to the Northern horizon - could have just grazed the Earth's atmosphere. Time noted 9:42pm. Other post running here:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1098032#post109803 2

[rustigsmed]

I will note I'm down in frankston (42km south east of Melbourne cbd) sky was clear

[rustigsmed]

video and more details here
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/07/did-you-see-the-meteor-over-melbourne-tonight-twitter-did/

[Forgey]

This "meteor" sighting appears to be the re-entry of a man made space debris 14037J which is possibly part of the Soyuz rocket launched from Kazakhstan 2 days ago re-entering the atmosphere. What's more, the attached image shows the predicted decay (re-entry) of the object for which the track over SE Australia corresponds closely with the time and direction of people's observations.
Calsky data here http://www.calsky.com/observer/csrender.cgi?object=Satellite&number=3&obs=9854352155617&tdt=2456848.98389202&sat=40077&tracker

[Astro_Bot]

Nice find, Paula. Or should I call you Holmes ...... Sherlock Holmes. :)

[rustigsmed]

nice detective work indeed Paula! hope you got to see it, spectacular!

[gary]

Article in Sydney Morning Herald about the third stage re-entry of the Soyuz rocket here -
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/fireball-seen-over-australian-skies-was-space-debris-from-russian-rocket-20140711-zt3pu.html

[xelasnave]

:rolleyes:Paula obviously is with the government putting out news such that the landing of the aliens will go unnoticed.:P

[Forgey]

It has been confirmed that it was the re-entry of a Soyuz rocket stage that launched a Russian meteorology satellite earlier this week.
http://www.spaceflight101.com/re-entry-of-soyuz-rocket-stage-catches-australian-observers-by-surprise.html

[deanm]

And this (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25877-jellyfish-in-the-sky-was-a-highflying-rocket-plume.html#.U79wU_mSySo)is how it all started!

Dean

[GeoffW1]

Nah,

It was Clive Palmer, a HUGE bolide, heading back from NZ.

Cheers

[Forgey]

:p

[xelasnave]

Yeh if it supposed to be a russian sat why is it over Australia ..lets see them explain that clearly an alien cover up.. You know the funny thing is you could gp to the pub and put the alien conspirecy thing forward and i but more go for aliend than a reasonable ecplanation..at least such with the pubs i go to...mmm do the aliens control the pubs

[glenc]

A man who believes he found a piece of space junk from the Russian rocket which spectacularly re-entered the atmosphere over Australia put it up for sale for $100,000...
he found the globe-shaped object just north of Walgett
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-16/space-junk-for-sale-on-internet/5601664

Saw that #meteor (https://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23meteor) flying Hobart-Syd last night - Jetstar JQ726 pilot told us all to look out window - was right next to plane! V.bright.