[meteorite-list] Arkansas Meteor Produces Rattling Sonic Boom, Blue-Hot Arc in Sky

Ron Baalke baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov
Wed Nov 5 11:43:19 EST 2003


http://www.arkansasnbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1511963&nav=F8n2IvhT

Jonesboro Meteor Produces Rattling Sonic Boom, Blue-Hot Arc in Sky

Meteor Lands Near Blytheville in Northeast Arkansas

Associated Press
November 5, 2003

A meteor above northeast Arkansas produced a rattling sonic boom and 
traced a blue-hot arc across the sky.

Researchers from the Center for Earthquake Research and Information in 
Memphis, Tennessee, are searching for the object in Poinsett County. 
Residents saw and heard the meteor Monday night.

Reports of the loud noise caused by the meteor were heard as far north 
as West Plains, Missouri, and as far south as Brinkley, about 70 miles 
to the southeast.

Residents described a bright blue light.

An astronomer at the Arkansas Sky Observatory on Petit Jean Mountain 
saw several bright meteors shooting across the sky Monday night while 
watching a comet.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.blythevillecn.com/articles/2003/11/04/news/news02.txt

Meteor lands in northeast Arkansas

By PAT IVEY
Blytheville Courier News
November 5, 2003

While some Blytheville residents were enjoying what looked like a
fireworks display in the western sky about 10 p.m. Monday, some Jonesboro
residents thought the sky was falling.

According to Kelly Robertson, media spokesperson with the Arkansas
Department of Emergency Management, a meteor fell from the sky, striking
the earth very near the city of Jonesboro.

According to a report to ADEM from the National Weather Service in Little
Rock, eyewitnesses reported seeing a greenish object falling through the
sky. The impact caused homes in Craighead and St. Francis counties to
shake, and resulted in several small fires in the Jonesboro area.

Robertson said no injuries or property damage was reported as a result of
the meteor.

------------------------------------------------------------------


[meteorite-list] Arkansas fall report

meteoritehunter at comcast.net meteoritehunter at comcast.net
Fri Nov 7 16:47:50 EST 2003


Hi everyone, I just got back from the "scene" 
of the first reported piece of the Monday night Arkansas fall. 

The piece that recieved so much news attention is a 200 gram
fragment of slag. Not a meteorite as the finder so adamantly
kept telling me because "the scientists and TV reporters said so". 

When I saw that a piece was reported found, I decided to 
jump on the next and last plane out of Tucson, I had merely
45 minutes from booking to get on the plane! I got to Arkansas 
on standby late last night and drove to my friend Gary Loyd's house.
He has a new baby, my godson, so I found this a sufficient 
excuse to come whether or not the meteorite was real. He lives
an hour and 45 minutes from Palastine. 

Anyway, the reports from the people there are that monday
night a huge lightshow and explosion were heard, then
many following booms, and people in Joneboro 45 minutes
to the north saw the meteorite break up into many pieces 
as it headed south- southeast.  That does put it exactly in
line with Palastine where I went today. 

Does anyone know how close you should be to the fall 
site if sonic booms are heard? The area is prime for hunting, 
mostly large farms and almost all are barren right now, 
having been harvested for the winter. There are without 
a doubt alot of meteorites on the ground somewhere in 
that area, and hopefully some farmer will find some true meteorites. 

Ill spend the weekend here waiting to see if anything else
turns up, but so far, no cigar. 

Mike Farmer
Meteoritehunter.



More information about the Meteorite-list mailing list


Meteorwrongs in the News