METEOR AVOIDED EARTH

Southland Times, Issue 25564, 6 January 1945, Page 6

METEOR AVOIDED EARTH

Thousands Of Tons In Weight 50,000 miles’ an hour (P.A.) HAWERA, January 5. The first report from an astronomical observer of the meteor seen on Saturday night comes from a Hawera resident, who was spending a holiday at Mokau. Calculating by what he saw of the meteor’s course, in conjunction with reports from the Wellington district, he finds that the mass would not have struck the earth, that it was travelling at a speed of about 50,000 miles an hour at a height of 80 or 90 miles and that it was a body probably weighing thousands of tons, according to its density. The explosion reported to have been heard by Wellington district observers is explained as being the concussion of the meteor’s entry into the atmosphere. The point that the sound was not heard until the meteor had passed from view was accounted for by the time taken for the sound of the impact to reach the earth. The meteor was first seen at 8.45 p.m. as a bright star, gradually growing in size and brilliance as its course was traced from south-west of west from Mokau to the east. It was visible for about 20 seconds, in which is is estimated to have travelled 300 milßs. Calculations from the angle of sight and the distance from Mokau to Castlepoint, where the meteor was last reported, gave the figures of height and speed.