While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Alan Poulter

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> 
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Hardly a newsworthy event - even for the Scotsman.

Jim 
-- 
Remove `spamtrapped` to reply off-list

http://jim-mason.fotopic.net/

In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:

> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Curious: how do you know it impacted?

FoFP

M Holmes  wrote in
news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
> 
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
> Curious: how do you know it impacted?

Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

AP

Alan Poulter wrote:

> M Holmes  wrote in
> news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk:
> 
>> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
>> 
>>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>>> at the time...
>> 
>> Curious: how do you know it impacted?
> 
> Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
> orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

Did the earth move for you?  That's the key.

Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

 From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
the flare finished.

How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
Meteors tend to be faster.

My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:

>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
> the flare finished.

> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
> visible for two or three minutes

?????

Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> 
>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>> the flare finished.
> 
>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
>> visible for two or three minutes
> 
> ?????
> 
> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it would 
be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're usually 
above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2 for a good 
  half minute or so. Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not 
specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above 
magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or 
so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

>> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
>> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
>> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
>> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
>> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
> crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
> wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

Doing some more calculations I'd have to agree - the flares are at the 
wrong time, although the one at 10.55pm does fit in being both low in 
the sky and towards the NE but was not really that bright. Meteor going 
behind the horizon is feasible.
-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:

>>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>>> the flare finished.

>>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably
>>> been visible for two or three minutes

>> ?????

>> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds. 

> A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it
> would be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're
> usually above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2
> for a good half minute or so.

I'm usually looking from the city, so I guess I can't see 'em duller
than magnitude one. I wish they'd switch all the damn streetlights off.
Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

Which website gives track maps?

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
>> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
>> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
>> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
>> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!
> 
> Which website gives track maps?

No website; I use a Java application to generate them. See 
http://iridiumflares.sourceforge.net/ - it uses Java3D 
(https://java3d.dev.java.net/) so you need that in addition to a JRE.

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

Angus Rae  wrote in
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> Alan Poulter wrote:
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> the flare finished.
> 
> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> Meteors tend to be faster.

Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
line. The descent angle looked steep.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
on Wednesdays and run earlier...
Alan P.

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> Angus Rae  wrote in
> news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 
> 
> > Alan Poulter wrote:
> >> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
> >> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
> >> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
> >> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
> >> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
> >> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
> >> at the time... 
> > 
> >  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> > Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> > to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> > a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> > the flare finished.
> > 
> > How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> > visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> > of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> > Meteors tend to be faster.
> 
> Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
> line. The descent angle looked steep.
> 
> > My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> > predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> > anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> > in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> > at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
> on Wednesdays and run earlier...
> Alan P.
> 
> 

The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

-- 
Halmyre

"Angus Rae"  wrote in message 
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent 
> (or
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not 
> an
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Living, as I do, in Tranent, I'm pretty certain I'd have noticed an impact 
(and if it had landed on Northfield it would have done no end of 
improvements).  Sadly, I neither saw, heard nor felt anything that would 
suggest anything out of the ordinary that night.

On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

(You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
they're too tough, sigh).)

M Holmes wrote:

> Which website gives track maps?
> 

Hi, I use CalSky http://www.calsky.com/cs.cgi/Satellites/8?
It's very good and you can get e-mail alerts for all sort of things 
(Iridium flares, ISS passes, etc.

Philippe

On Apr 16, 2:48 pm, Angus Rae  wrote:
> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th -
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

There are a few dead Iridium satellites tumbling randomly which can
produce unpredictible flares.

We use http://www.heavens-above.com/ for predictions.

In ed.general Tim Bradshaw  wrote:
> On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

>> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

> (You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
> child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
> to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
> and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
> one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
> they're too tough, sigh).)

I always wondered if they could be knocked out for a while by hitting the
sensor with a laser-pointer. Of course I'd need to know how to find the
sensor and it'd need to be pointed other than upwards...

FoFP

In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:

> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
still recovering.

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:
> 
>> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!
> 
> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
> still recovering.
> 

That'll teach you.  Eeek, it's Martin Jarvis in a mohair jumper run!

Stew

In ed.general Stewart Smith  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:
>> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:

>>> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

>> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
>> still recovering.

> That'll teach you.  Eeek, it's Martin Jarvis in a mohair jumper run!

Heh. Luckily the old ones aren't all as bad as that was.

I'm also watching "Timeslip", the kids TV series from the 70's. Ignoring
things such as them still doing TV like it's a live-action play, the
cliche kid geek, and the tendency to overexplain anything "scientific",
the imaginative storytelling of it still holds up pretty well.

FoFP

In article <f025ap$54u$2@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, fofp@holyrood.ed.ac.uk 
says...
> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:
> 
> > The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!
> 
> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
> still recovering.
> 
> FoFP
> 
> 

You fool, Doctor Who is a documentary from the future! 

-- 
Halmyre

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> 
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Hardly a newsworthy event - even for the Scotsman.

Jim 
-- 
Remove `spamtrapped` to reply off-list

http://jim-mason.fotopic.net/

In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:

> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Curious: how do you know it impacted?

FoFP

M Holmes  wrote in
news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
> 
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
> Curious: how do you know it impacted?

Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

AP

Alan Poulter wrote:

> M Holmes  wrote in
> news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk:
> 
>> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
>> 
>>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>>> at the time...
>> 
>> Curious: how do you know it impacted?
> 
> Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
> orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

Did the earth move for you?  That's the key.

Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

 From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
the flare finished.

How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
Meteors tend to be faster.

My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:

>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
> the flare finished.

> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
> visible for two or three minutes

?????

Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> 
>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>> the flare finished.
> 
>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
>> visible for two or three minutes
> 
> ?????
> 
> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it would 
be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're usually 
above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2 for a good 
  half minute or so. Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not 
specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above 
magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or 
so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

>> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
>> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
>> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
>> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
>> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
> crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
> wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

Doing some more calculations I'd have to agree - the flares are at the 
wrong time, although the one at 10.55pm does fit in being both low in 
the sky and towards the NE but was not really that bright. Meteor going 
behind the horizon is feasible.
-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:

>>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>>> the flare finished.

>>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably
>>> been visible for two or three minutes

>> ?????

>> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds. 

> A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it
> would be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're
> usually above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2
> for a good half minute or so.

I'm usually looking from the city, so I guess I can't see 'em duller
than magnitude one. I wish they'd switch all the damn streetlights off.
Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

Which website gives track maps?

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
>> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
>> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
>> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
>> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!
> 
> Which website gives track maps?

No website; I use a Java application to generate them. See 
http://iridiumflares.sourceforge.net/ - it uses Java3D 
(https://java3d.dev.java.net/) so you need that in addition to a JRE.

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

Angus Rae  wrote in
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> Alan Poulter wrote:
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> the flare finished.
> 
> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> Meteors tend to be faster.

Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
line. The descent angle looked steep.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
on Wednesdays and run earlier...
Alan P.

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> Angus Rae  wrote in
> news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 
> 
> > Alan Poulter wrote:
> >> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
> >> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
> >> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
> >> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
> >> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
> >> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
> >> at the time... 
> > 
> >  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> > Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> > to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> > a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> > the flare finished.
> > 
> > How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> > visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> > of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> > Meteors tend to be faster.
> 
> Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
> line. The descent angle looked steep.
> 
> > My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> > predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> > anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> > in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> > at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
> on Wednesdays and run earlier...
> Alan P.
> 
> 

The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

-- 
Halmyre

"Angus Rae"  wrote in message 
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent 
> (or
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not 
> an
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Living, as I do, in Tranent, I'm pretty certain I'd have noticed an impact 
(and if it had landed on Northfield it would have done no end of 
improvements).  Sadly, I neither saw, heard nor felt anything that would 
suggest anything out of the ordinary that night.

On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

(You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
they're too tough, sigh).)

M Holmes wrote:

> Which website gives track maps?
> 

Hi, I use CalSky http://www.calsky.com/cs.cgi/Satellites/8?
It's very good and you can get e-mail alerts for all sort of things 
(Iridium flares, ISS passes, etc.

Philippe

On Apr 16, 2:48 pm, Angus Rae  wrote:
> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th -
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

There are a few dead Iridium satellites tumbling randomly which can
produce unpredictible flares.

We use http://www.heavens-above.com/ for predictions.

In ed.general Tim Bradshaw  wrote:
> On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

>> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

> (You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
> child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
> to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
> and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
> one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
> they're too tough, sigh).)

I always wondered if they could be knocked out for a while by hitting the
sensor with a laser-pointer. Of course I'd need to know how to find the
sensor and it'd need to be pointed other than upwards...

FoFP

In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:

> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
still recovering.

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:
> 
>> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!
> 
> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
> still recovering.
> 

That'll teach you.  Eeek, it's Martin Jarvis in a mohair jumper run!

Stew

In ed.general Stewart Smith  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:
>> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:

>>> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

>> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
>> still recovering.

> That'll teach you.  Eeek, it's Martin Jarvis in a mohair jumper run!

Heh. Luckily the old ones aren't all as bad as that was.

I'm also watching "Timeslip", the kids TV series from the 70's. Ignoring
things such as them still doing TV like it's a live-action play, the
cliche kid geek, and the tendency to overexplain anything "scientific",
the imaginative storytelling of it still holds up pretty well.

FoFP

In article <f025ap$54u$2@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, fofp@holyrood.ed.ac.uk 
says...
> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:
> 
> > The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!
> 
> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
> still recovering.
> 
> FoFP
> 
> 

You fool, Doctor Who is a documentary from the future! 

-- 
Halmyre

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> 
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Hardly a newsworthy event - even for the Scotsman.

Jim 
-- 
Remove `spamtrapped` to reply off-list

http://jim-mason.fotopic.net/

In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:

> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Curious: how do you know it impacted?

FoFP

M Holmes  wrote in
news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
> 
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
> Curious: how do you know it impacted?

Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

AP

Alan Poulter wrote:

> M Holmes  wrote in
> news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk:
> 
>> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
>> 
>>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>>> at the time...
>> 
>> Curious: how do you know it impacted?
> 
> Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
> orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

Did the earth move for you?  That's the key.

Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

 From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
the flare finished.

How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
Meteors tend to be faster.

My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:

>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
> the flare finished.

> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
> visible for two or three minutes

?????

Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> 
>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>> the flare finished.
> 
>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
>> visible for two or three minutes
> 
> ?????
> 
> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it would 
be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're usually 
above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2 for a good 
  half minute or so. Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not 
specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above 
magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or 
so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

>> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
>> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
>> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
>> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
>> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
> crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
> wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

Doing some more calculations I'd have to agree - the flares are at the 
wrong time, although the one at 10.55pm does fit in being both low in 
the sky and towards the NE but was not really that bright. Meteor going 
behind the horizon is feasible.
-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:

>>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>>> the flare finished.

>>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably
>>> been visible for two or three minutes

>> ?????

>> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds. 

> A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it
> would be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're
> usually above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2
> for a good half minute or so.

I'm usually looking from the city, so I guess I can't see 'em duller
than magnitude one. I wish they'd switch all the damn streetlights off.
Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

Which website gives track maps?

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
>> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
>> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
>> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
>> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!
> 
> Which website gives track maps?

No website; I use a Java application to generate them. See 
http://iridiumflares.sourceforge.net/ - it uses Java3D 
(https://java3d.dev.java.net/) so you need that in addition to a JRE.

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

Angus Rae  wrote in
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> Alan Poulter wrote:
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> the flare finished.
> 
> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> Meteors tend to be faster.

Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
line. The descent angle looked steep.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
on Wednesdays and run earlier...
Alan P.

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> Angus Rae  wrote in
> news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 
> 
> > Alan Poulter wrote:
> >> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
> >> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
> >> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
> >> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
> >> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
> >> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
> >> at the time... 
> > 
> >  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> > Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> > to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> > a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> > the flare finished.
> > 
> > How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> > visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> > of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> > Meteors tend to be faster.
> 
> Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
> line. The descent angle looked steep.
> 
> > My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> > predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> > anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> > in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> > at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
> on Wednesdays and run earlier...
> Alan P.
> 
> 

The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

-- 
Halmyre

"Angus Rae"  wrote in message 
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent 
> (or
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not 
> an
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Living, as I do, in Tranent, I'm pretty certain I'd have noticed an impact 
(and if it had landed on Northfield it would have done no end of 
improvements).  Sadly, I neither saw, heard nor felt anything that would 
suggest anything out of the ordinary that night.

On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

(You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
they're too tough, sigh).)

M Holmes wrote:

> Which website gives track maps?
> 

Hi, I use CalSky http://www.calsky.com/cs.cgi/Satellites/8?
It's very good and you can get e-mail alerts for all sort of things 
(Iridium flares, ISS passes, etc.

Philippe

On Apr 16, 2:48 pm, Angus Rae  wrote:
> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th -
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

There are a few dead Iridium satellites tumbling randomly which can
produce unpredictible flares.

We use http://www.heavens-above.com/ for predictions.

In ed.general Tim Bradshaw  wrote:
> On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

>> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

> (You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
> child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
> to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
> and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
> one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
> they're too tough, sigh).)

I always wondered if they could be knocked out for a while by hitting the
sensor with a laser-pointer. Of course I'd need to know how to find the
sensor and it'd need to be pointed other than upwards...

FoFP

In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:

> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
still recovering.

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:
> 
>> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!
> 
> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
> still recovering.
> 

That'll teach you.  Eeek, it's Martin Jarvis in a mohair jumper run!

Stew

In ed.general Stewart Smith  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:
>> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:

>>> The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

>> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
>> still recovering.

> That'll teach you.  Eeek, it's Martin Jarvis in a mohair jumper run!

Heh. Luckily the old ones aren't all as bad as that was.

I'm also watching "Timeslip", the kids TV series from the 70's. Ignoring
things such as them still doing TV like it's a live-action play, the
cliche kid geek, and the tendency to overexplain anything "scientific",
the imaginative storytelling of it still holds up pretty well.

FoFP

In article <f025ap$54u$2@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>, fofp@holyrood.ed.ac.uk 
says...
> In ed.general Halmyre <nospam@this.address> wrote:
> 
> > The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!
> 
> Stop it! I watched the "Zarbi" episodes of Doctor Who recently and I'm
> still recovering.
> 
> FoFP
> 
> 

You fool, Doctor Who is a documentary from the future! 

-- 
Halmyre

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> 
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Hardly a newsworthy event - even for the Scotsman.

Jim 
-- 
Remove `spamtrapped` to reply off-list

http://jim-mason.fotopic.net/

In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:

> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Curious: how do you know it impacted?

FoFP

M Holmes  wrote in
news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
> 
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
> Curious: how do you know it impacted?

Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

AP

Alan Poulter wrote:

> M Holmes  wrote in
> news:evqtkd$p7s$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk:
> 
>> In ed.general Alan Poulter  wrote:
>> 
>>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>>> at the time...
>> 
>> Curious: how do you know it impacted?
> 
> Assumption based on its speed and size. It looked pretty big to me. I
> orginally thought it was a plane till its step descent became apparent.

Did the earth move for you?  That's the key.

Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come 
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent (or 
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track 
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman 
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not an 
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

 From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
the flare finished.

How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
Meteors tend to be faster.

My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:

>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
> the flare finished.

> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
> visible for two or three minutes

?????

Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> 
>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>> the flare finished.
> 
>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been 
>> visible for two or three minutes
> 
> ?????
> 
> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds.

A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it would 
be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're usually 
above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2 for a good 
  half minute or so. Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not 
specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above 
magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or 
so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

>> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
>> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
>> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not 
>> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
>> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> A meteor seems fairly likely to me. It's easy though to mistake a meteor
> crossing the horizon with one which actually impacts, which was why I
> wondered whether there was other evidence of an impact (such as sound).

Doing some more calculations I'd have to agree - the flares are at the 
wrong time, although the one at 10.55pm does fit in being both low in 
the sky and towards the NE but was not really that bright. Meteor going 
behind the horizon is feasible.
-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
> M Holmes wrote:

>>>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
>>> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly) 
>>> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
>>> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before 
>>> the flare finished.

>>> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably
>>> been visible for two or three minutes

>> ?????

>> Every one I've seen has been visible for 5 to 7 seconds. 

> A flare would only be at it's brightest for a few seconds, but it
> would be visible for quite some time before and after that - they're
> usually above magnitude 6 for a good 4 minutes, and above magnitude 2
> for a good half minute or so.

I'm usually looking from the city, so I guess I can't see 'em duller
than magnitude one. I wish they'd switch all the damn streetlights off.
Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!

Which website gives track maps?

FoFP

M Holmes wrote:
> In ed.general Angus Rae  wrote:
>> Admittedly it would be unlikely that someone not
>> specifically looking for it would notice a flare until it got well above
>> magnitude 2 - I occasionally have problems spotting them until mag 3 or
>> so, and I usually have a printed chart with the track in front of me!
> 
> Which website gives track maps?

No website; I use a Java application to generate them. See 
http://iridiumflares.sourceforge.net/ - it uses Java3D 
(https://java3d.dev.java.net/) so you need that in addition to a JRE.

-- 
Angus G Rae                        Science & Engineering Support Team
                                                    Computing Services
                                               University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

Angus Rae  wrote in
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 

> Alan Poulter wrote:
>> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
>> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
>> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
>> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
>> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
>> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
>> at the time... 
> 
>  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> the flare finished.
> 
> How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> Meteors tend to be faster.

Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
line. The descent angle looked steep.

> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
on Wednesdays and run earlier...
Alan P.

In article , 
alan@poulter.demon.co.uk says...
> Angus Rae  wrote in
> news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk: 
> 
> > Alan Poulter wrote:
> >> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor
> >> come down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and
> >> Tranent (or maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from
> >> my jogging track just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A
> >> quick Google, Scotsman and ELC seach found no other reports. It
> >> definitely was a metorite and not an airliner and I was totally sober
> >> at the time... 
> > 
> >  From the lack of reports, I suspect that what you actually saw was an 
> > Iridium flare, which would only have been visible (at least as brightly)
> > to people within a fairly small area looking in the right direction. At 
> > a guess it was a low-angle one that went behind the local horizon before
> > the flare finished.
> > 
> > How rapid was it? If it was an Iridium flare it would have probably been
> > visible for two or three minutes (although if I'm right you missed part 
> > of the flare as it went behind the surroundings, so perhaps half that). 
> > Meteors tend to be faster.
> 
> Very rapid. Say 10 seconds from first sight to going below the horizon
> line. The descent angle looked steep.
> 
> > My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare 
> > predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th 
> > anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> > in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th - 
> > at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?
> 
> I am sure it was Thursday as I watch 'Desperate Housewives' 10-11
> on Wednesdays and run earlier...
> Alan P.
> 
> 

The bee-people invasion has begun. Run for your lives! You're next!

-- 
Halmyre

"Angus Rae"  wrote in message 
news:evvuqq$26i$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
Alan Poulter wrote:
> While out jogging late Thursday evening (around 10pm) I saw a meteor come
> down from the north and impact somewhere between Prestonpans and Tranent 
> (or
> maybe further east). My perspective was looking east from my jogging track
> just west of the A1/A199 intersection at Tranent. A quick Google, Scotsman
> and ELC seach found no other reports. It definitely was a metorite and not 
> an
> airliner and I was totally sober at the time...

Living, as I do, in Tranent, I'm pretty certain I'd have noticed an impact 
(and if it had landed on Northfield it would have done no end of 
improvements).  Sadly, I neither saw, heard nor felt anything that would 
suggest anything out of the ordinary that night.

On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

(You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
they're too tough, sigh).)

M Holmes wrote:

> Which website gives track maps?
> 

Hi, I use CalSky http://www.calsky.com/cs.cgi/Satellites/8?
It's very good and you can get e-mail alerts for all sort of things 
(Iridium flares, ISS passes, etc.

Philippe

On Apr 16, 2:48 pm, Angus Rae  wrote:
> My only problem with the theory is that both the Iridium flare
> predictors I use only find two flares visible from Tranent on the 12th
> anywhere near the right time, one at 9.30pm and one at 10.55pm... so not
> in the right time frame really. There was one on Wednesday - the 11th -
> at 9.55pm though; are you sure it was Thursday?

There are a few dead Iridium satellites tumbling randomly which can
produce unpredictible flares.

We use http://www.heavens-above.com/ for predictions.

In ed.general Tim Bradshaw  wrote:
> On 2007-04-16 15:51:47 +0100, M Holmes  said:

>> Maybe the Global Whiners could be recruited to campaign for that...

> I suspect most of them are too frightened of the dark.

> (You've put bad thoughts into my head.  having grown up on a farm as a 
> child & had air rifles, bows & arrows etc, I've always had a hankering 
> to buy an air rifle, until I look at the kind of places that sell them 
> and realise I'm not really into camouflage, etc.  But now I could buy 
> one and shoot streetlights out and feel all virtuous (except I suspect 
> they're too tough, sigh).)

I always wondered if they could be knocked out for a while by hitting the
sensor with a laser-pointer. Of course I'd need to know how to find the
sensor and it'd need to be pointed other than upwards...

FoFP