It Was Not A Meteorite!

[astroron (Ron)]

I have listened to the radio and watched TV in the last 24 hours and every Astronomer both Amateur and Professional called the lights over Brisbane a Meteorite "Wrong" it was possibly a Meteor or Space Junk .
A Meteror is when it is seen flying through the sky.
A Meteorite is when we pick it up of the ground
If we Astronomers cannot get it right,how do we expect the public to get it right.
Also to say that it was the remains of Comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann is drawing a long bow.
Please put Brain in gear before engaging mouth when talking to the media.
Some might think I am being pedantic, so be it, but let us show that we know what we are talking about when we talk to the press.

[ving (David)]

it was aliens coming to take over the world.... starting with the thriving cultural center of said world, brisvegas.

I wonder who the media talked to about it?

[robagar]

brisbane channel 7 newsreaders are clearly aliens already. they look like they learnt to smile in mirror

[ving (David)]

"The reports we have been getting suggest it appears to be a green flarey type of material."

from news.com.au

flares are back i tells ya!

[sheeny (Al)]

Good on you Ving!

Al.

It was probably another shuttle, I'll check the NASA web site and see if they are missing one.

[Argonavis (William)]

I didn't catch any of the TV or radio reports, but this was in both The Australian and the Courier-Mail:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...-30417,00.html

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

LOL @ Ron.
On the radio this morning in a piece unrelated to the meteor, they were talking about how huge our sun was, comprising 99.8% of the mass in our solar system, and they were in awe about the fact that despite it being all those light years away, it still can heat up our planet.

Idiots

[Adrian-H]

i got rid of my tv a long time ago.. as for radio, i dont bother with that eather. if ya as me, they are a waste of your time, and your brain space.

[Volans]

Originally Posted by astroron

Also to say that it was the remains of Comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann is drawing a long bow.
Please put Brain in gear before engaging mouth when talking to the media.
Some might think I am being pedantic, so be it, but let us show that we know what we are talking about when we talk to the press.

Hear Hear Ron!!

We had a very busy day today at work with the media in regard to this meteor. My boss did all the interviews, Ch9 and Ch 2, ABC radio and the Courier Mail.

(BTW...a member of the Astronomical Association of Qld was mentioned in the Courier Mail today [17th of May] and it was stated that he was from the Queensland Astrological Association!!..Erica Thompson was the journo who failed to get the basic facts right in that article.)

Mark and I discussed it when we got to work this morning and I too had heard reports that it was a bit off comet 73P S-W 3. I immediately had my doubts and after plotting the path I found that it crosses the ecliptic in about 5 days from now. So how could a bit of that comet collide with the Earth if it has yet to cross the plane of the ecliptic? Further investigations show it will cross the plane of the ecliptic INSIDE Earth orbit.

Space junk? NOPE. This object was travelling east to west and space junk is from spacecraft and spacecraft travel west to east. So it was not space junk as some have claimed.

I believe it was simply a sporadic fireball with an interesting colour.

But I think the best bit of TV coverage regarding this meteor was when Ch 7 flew out to this bloke's property west of Brisbane. He claimed that it landed on his property and that he saw a "green ball rolling down the hill"

Such a common misconception that one...meteorites are still hot and glowing when thay land....pfft...WRONG!!! Meteors have slowed down enough that by the time they are at about 20km altitude they are only travelling at a few metres per second therefore are unable to produce heat via friction with the air and the air is at sub zero temperatures at that level. In some cases, a fresh metoerite fall has been observed to be covered in frost due to the very cold internal temperatures of the object. So this cow cocky west of Brisbane was having a bit of a yarn.

Peter.

[astroron (Ron)]

Thanks Peter, there was a person from an astronomy magazine who also called it a meteorite, and another astronomer? said it was about ten kilometres up.
I also talked to a person from Coast FM who asked if I was an astrolager if I am I am not very sucessful
Also another astronomer said there could be a follow up in few days! keep watching everyone.

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

You know the difference between an Astronomer & an Astrologer dont you ?
"An Astronomer never tries to tell an Astrologers future!"
Remember that comeback line next time someone asks you if you are an "Astrologer"
I do look forward to hearing more on this one though !

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

I agree with Ron,

We have to use correct Scientific Astronomical Terminology or we will sound stupid!

Please get the terminology right:
Fuzzy Blob
Faint Fuzzies
Mooning
Glob
Large and Small Magellanic 'Clouds'
Dob
Mak
Super-Sliders
EP
Dark Noise
Double Double
Spiders Veins
Protective Overcoat
cooled chips
etc...

We don't want to sound like babbling idiots do we!

[Roger Davis]

How many astrologers does it take to change a light bulb?
One to read the Tarot cards to find the most auspiscious moment to change it.
One to do a horoscope on the old and new light bulbs.
One to suggest that the bulb blowing out was meant to happen and augers some new cosmic event.
One to suggest that the bulb blew out due to the alignment of the planets.
One to divine which light bulb is best to replace the blown one.
One to set up the ladder so that no-one can walk under it.
Then they all sit there in the dark and wait for fate to pick one of them to actually put the bulb into the socket!

Meteroid - The actual grain of whatever in space
Meteor - The light produced as it the whatever burns up
Meteorite - If it doesn't burn up and hits the ground

[astroron (Ron)]

Touchae(spelling?)Ken

[fringe_dweller]

I understand were your coming from Ken, but what if in all other walks of life attention to nomenclature was as loose as noobs and some others would want it for astronomy - ie a mechanic - well we cant have terminology that might put off new mechanics like carburetor and turboerator 7/8th" wrench normaliser
it would be anarchy

[Mick (Michael)]

Yes I see your point but mechanics need to use that terminology, it makes owners comfortable. Oh and by the way they are apprentice mechanics.

Originally Posted by fringe_dweller

I understand were your coming from Ken, but what if in all other walks of life attention to nomenclature was as loose as noobs and some others would want it for astronomy - ie a mechanic - well we cant have terminology that might put off new mechanics like carburetor and turboerator 7/8th" wrench normaliser
it would be anarchy

[circumpolar (Matt)]

Originally Posted by Roger Davis

How many astrologers does it take to change a light bulb?

Q:How many Astronomers does it take to change a light bulb?......

A(1):One......I guess. Although they are usually very reluctant to do so!. And if they do change it, the new one will almost certainly be RED.

A(2):200+......If you count the rest of the star party attendents trying to stop him.

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

Adds a whole new meaning to the term "Red Light District"
New meaning: "A housing estate for the exclusive use of astronomers"