Astro-Porn of the Day: HUGE fireball during last night's Leonids

[mckitterick]

Holy sky-on-fire, Batman! Here's a little video taken by the University of Utah's observatory on Frisco Peak, presumably an automated camera. Watch how this fireball changes night into day:

Click to view

Apparently, it was visible all over the western USA, with people reporting sightings across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. I'm so envious! Skies in Kansas

Comments

[mckitterick]

As soon as I saw them, I HAD to share! It's my duty as a sentient being.

[siro_gravity]

wow wow wow wow WOOOOOOOOW!!!!
omg, how much i wish i had seen it!!

[mckitterick]

I KNOW! I know!

[bammba_m]

Holy crap, awesome!

[mckitterick]

Isn't it, though?

[tmseay]

Oh, good, maybe you can explain this: http://cjonline.com/news/state/2009-11-19/scientist_confirms_meteorite

"[Biophysicist Don] Stimpson saw the rock during a visit to Liberal Tuesday. He says it likely came from the atmosphere around the sun and fell as far as 100 million miles."

The atmosphere around the sun? Fell 100 million miles? WTF?

[mckitterick]

Um. Let's see... this genius also describes the value of the rocks at the end of the article, so I think you have your explanation right there.

Everyone knows that such rocks orbit 100 million miles from the Sun. And come from its atmosphere. Where you also find Venusians deluging in the afternoon nano.

[clevermanka]

Wow! I'm glad I had a chance to watch these (finally). My favorite bit of information from the article, though? Now knowing that people from Utah are called "Utahns."

[mckitterick]

You pronounce it with an extra syllable between "Utah" and "ns": Utah'ns.

[clevermanka]

I like "You-tans" better.