Astronomers search for evidence of meteor after giant boom over Quebec

spaminator

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Astronomers search for evidence of meteor after giant boom over Quebec
QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 02:13 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 05:31 PM EST
Canadian astronomers are searching for evidence of a meteor they believe caused a mysterious explosive sound heard over a large area of southern Quebec, eastern Ontario and upper New York state on Tuesday evening.
Quebec provincial police were inundated with calls about the loud boom and a flash of blue light that accompanied it just before 8 p.m.
"Astronomers will now work to determine where the meteor originated by collecting eyewitness reports and searching for images of the fireball on 'all-sky cameras' — which are essentially webcams aimed towards the sky," said Dr. Paul Delaney, a senior lecturer in astronomy at York University.
"This will also help to determine if any pieces were likely to have reached the ground."
The Earth is regularly hit by small meteors, which typically burn up long before reaching the ground.
The Canadian Space Agency, headquartered just outside Montreal, is yet to confirm a meteor, citing a lack of concrete information.
The Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in February was a larger one that caused significant damage. In October, a coffee table-sized chunk of the space rock was recovered. It weighs nearly 1,500 lbs.
"If a meteor explosion did create the sonic boom heard in (Quebec), it would have been a much smaller chunk of rock than (Chelyabinsk). Small meteor impacts are relatively common, creating beautiful fireballs for observers," said Jesse Rogerson, an astronomy and astrophysics PhD student at York University.
— with files from Harrison Ruess
Astronomers search for evidence of meteor after giant boom over Quebec | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
 

Blackleaf

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To bad it didn't do like Tunguska, and level the whole province... ;)

Would anybody notice? I think it took a while for people to notice the damage at Tunguska because hardly anyone lives there.
 

WLDB

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Would anybody notice? I think it took a while for people to notice the damage at Tunguska because hardly anyone lives there.

Indeed. About five years or so if I remember correctly. The people living nearby knew right away but they didnt really have much contact with the rest of the country. Even after they did find out about it no one went to do an in depth study on it til the 20s. WW1, the Revolution and Civil War kept them occupied for quite some time.

Nobody lives in Quebec, eastern Ontario and upstate New York? Somebody must. It was reported....

Even if they didnt satellites were bound to pick it up.