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TOPIC: SCIENCE
M E T E O R ' S S O N I C B O O M M A K E S A R E A I M P A C T
BY NORRIS INGELLS, Lansing State Journal
Predictions were that Thursday morning's Orionid Meteor Shower
wasn't going to be very exciting.
It wasn't--with one exception.
About 1:50 a.m., a large, bright meteor flashed across mid-Michigan
skies, causing a sonic boom.
Authorities aren't sure where or if it came down. It could have
burned up before hitting the ground. There were reports of both
north-south and east-west trajectories, and claims that it fell
into Lake Michigan.
"The sound of it was heard all the way from Jacson to Alma," said
Bob Suttle, head of the U.S. Weather Service office here. "And
reports of the color varied from bright orange to silver."
One caller to Micgian State University's Abrams Planetarium said
it started out as a bright white streak of light, then broke into
three pieces that became red.
Mike Bessert of St. Louis heard it: "I'm a light sleeper and it
woke me right up." Bessert lives near the Total oil refinery and
feared that there had been an explosion there.
It's virtually certain the phenomena was [sic] a meteor. "It had
no correlation with anything we were tracking," said Scott
Johnson, spokesman for the North American Air Defence Command in
Colorado. They keep track of human-made objects in space.
Abrams director David Batch says he doubts that the event was
part of the Orionid shower. "Large meteor showers generally
don't have large particles. They are primarily dust burning up,"
he said.
Reports received so far implied that the Lake Michigan splash-
down might not be correct.
The Orionid shower--caused by debris from Halley's Comet--will
continue through the weekend. The best viewing is during the
predawn hours, but bright moonlight makes spotting the shooting
stars difficult.
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MSU's Abrams Planetarium can be reached at 355-4676.
- Todd
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- T o d d E. V a n H o o s e a r -
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