I am in Woodstock Ontario and I saw the largest shooting star in my life. It was brilliant white core. My father saw the same thing in Simcoe an hour south east of here. It looked to me that it hit somewhere north of here. For almost half an hour the northern horizon was bright almost the sun was just setting. Please tell me someone else saw this too.

I hear there's a Triffid farm near Woodstock.

Huge asteroid to pass near Earth tonight - Technology & Science - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/06/14/asteroid-flyby-earth.html)

According to the article it probably wasn't this one, but could be a smaller piece of debris that was traveling near/with this one.

What time was that?
As I saw one going vertical downward as I was heading up Hwy 6 on the mcycle.

Did not see much but had to have been bright as I was approaching a lighted area and it caught my eye. Straight down and centred on the highway which points pretty much north in that area.

Not sure of the time but likely between 11 and midnight.

There are no meteor showers and activity is low in June.


Meteor Activity Outlook for June 9-15, 2012 | American Meteor Society (http://www.amsmeteors.org/2012/06/meteor-activity-outlook-for-june-9-15-2012/)

ah reread your's was near sunset - I was riding a bit later than that tho horizon was still light when I set out around 10 pm.

Here we are - lots of people saw it - big one :clap: around 10 pm or a bit earlier.
Damn I was out but was heading west in trees at that time. :baby:

The Latest Worldwide Meteor / Fireball Reports (http://thelatestworldwidemeteorreports.blogspot.ca/)

niiiiiccccce one

One description pf hundreds posted - must have been big

No sound, but bright green/blue/white/red, changing colors like the northern lights. Looked like a multi colored fire ball with a long tail

nother one

white shooting star, explosion of green and white and what looked like a dust cloud that remained 15mins

Bright enough to draw my attention from the TV and look outside

Hey Macdoc, it was a out 9:30-10 pm the sky near the horizon was just that bright. Though after reading you post I could have been a fireball. If it was a piece of the asteroid, what an amazing show.

Huge asteroid to pass near Earth tonight - Technology & Science - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/06/14/asteroid-flyby-earth.html)

According to the article it probably wasn't this one, but could be a smaller piece of debris that was traveling near/with this one.

I thought of that as well, it was quite wild to see.

Remember we are close to solstice and it was a very clear night so exceptionally long twilight.
I'm sure you saw what everyone else did a big fireball - they are pretty rare that size.
I've only seen one in that category that cruised the horizon dripping green fire.

The green is copper.

There is one on youtube - not the one you saw but may give a perspective on size

YBMRLxyewn0

and another good - guy with the camera was good.

cajfFtu_QPA&feature=related

someone actually captured the one you saw ( poor footage ) the meteor last night - had to be very bright given the lights he was shooting near while in a vehicle

pSmX2mPaVSc&feature=player_embedded

I once saw a "fireball" in my teens about this time of year. It wasn't even twilight yet and the sky was still quite bright. It almost looked like it fell into our neighbor's backyard. It actually looked like a fireball all flaming yellow orange and then it broke into several flaming pieces before it extinguished and I guess the remaining pieces hit the earth or just burned up completely.

It was quite the sight to behold.

I saw one like that in the late 1990s over Toronto one night. I could almost imagine it making a noise, but that would have been ridiculous, given the speed of sound.

I spoke to an astronomer at Western University and he said that by some reports it may be one of the biggest in recent memory. They know it hit somewhere and are still searching for it

I spoke to an astronomer at Western University and he said that by some reports it may be one of the biggest in recent memory. They know it hit somewhere and are still searching for it

You are lucky you saw it, you will remember it for the rest of your life.

Yes for sure he will. I recall exactly where I was and what I was doing when I saw my big earth grazer cruise by.

Had to pick jaw out of the dishwater in the sink.

I've seen quite a few decent fireballs during the showers and last year was a treat with about 60 per hour of various magnitude and speed but big one is truly memorable.

Only one other celestial event stands out as much and that was a huge northern lights display that was rippling rapidly and the ripples passing overhead past the zenith....stood outside mesmerized for an hour until the cold got to me.
First time ever I actually had a sense of the planet moving through space.
Nothing even close since tho have seen a few banners in green and yellow - never the rapid white ripples like that night.

A full solar eclipse when in Uni was memorable as well.

Yes for sure he will. I recall exactly where I was and what I was doing when I saw my big earth grazer cruise by.

Had to pick jaw out of the dishwater in the sink.

I've seen quite a few decent fireballs during the showers and last year was a treat with about 60 per hour of various magnitude and speed but big one is truly memorable.

Only one other celestial event stands out as much and that was a huge northern lights display that was rippling rapidly and the ripples passing overhead past the zenith....stood outside mesmerized for an hour until the cold got to me.
First time ever I actually had a sense of the planet moving through space.
Nothing even close since tho have seen a few banners in green and yellow - never the rapid white ripples like that night.

A full solar eclipse when in Uni was memorable as well.

As far as celestial phenomenon goes a good show of colourful Northern Lights is amazing with the dancing and sweeping that they do and colour shifts... I saw a couple like, this once in Moose Factory and once in the Gatineaus.

Another occasion where the Northern Lights were stunning was actually as far south as PEI on Cavendish Beach looking out across the ocean. This time it wasn't the colours that were amazing it was their brightness... They were so bright they actually back lit the thin wispy cloud formations that were drifting by... a thing of beauty and awe to behold.

The other celestial event that I saw that was amazing was the comet Hale Bopp in 1997 that was observable to the naked eye... that was very impressive as well.

Even as impressive that was I think I will always remember my first meteor shower. I was only 13 and was up near Lake Baptiste. It lasted for about 5 minutes a symphony of light.

The other celestial event that I saw that was amazing was the comet Hale Bopp in 1997 that was observable to the naked eye... that was very impressive as well.

now I know I'm getting old......thanks for the nudge....Comet McNaught

http://spaceinfo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mcnaught575.jpg

walked outside our apartment on the ocean in Hermanus to that - three nights running - just astounding and no photo I've seen could catch how that wispy tail just went on and on

Comet Kahoutek sucked. It was supposed to be the biggest celestial event of the century.

Comet Kahoutek sucked. It was supposed to be the biggest celestial event of the century.
Agreed.

now I know I'm getting old......thanks for the nudge....Comet McNaught

http://spaceinfo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mcnaught575.jpg

walked outside our apartment on the ocean in Hermanus to that - three nights running - just astounding and no photo I've seen could catch how that wispy tail just went on and on

All I can say is WOW. When did that take place? I presume it was visible in the southern hemisphere?

It's called the Great Comet of 2007 and caught everyone by surprise with the show

C/2006 P1 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2006_P1)

I think it was visible in the north as well

This was shot from Australia but it looked the same from all that latitude around the planet and hung there for three days.

http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/images/astrophoto-library/cometmcnaught.jpg

I'm normally on top of big events but no idea on this until buddy wanders in and said "Did you see the comet?"

Walked to the beach and was floored. We had no lights on the horizon to the north and west so was perfect viewing.
( South Africa on the west coast is great for star gazing - Great Magellenic Clouds are visible, Souther Cross of course and a superb MIlky Way.
Some nights in the little Karoo I'm float in the little pool and just lose myself in stars.)

Also saw the space station there are sunset - think of a really bright Venus just rocking along about twice as fast as any high aircraft. Could just make out the shape in the binocs but it was moving so fast hard to track.

That was also unexpected.
We were out at a astronomy meet and just getting the scopes ready and this thing came along a few degrees above the mountain perfectly lit.
Smaller than this in the binocs but the shape was obvious.
http://ic2.pbase.com/o6/79/72179/1/108921267.0P60bnsU.Copyofiss_20090205_235211b.jpg
Can't believe I forgot McNaught tho :yikes:

Thanks Doc. In the Wiki entry it says it was visible in the Southern Hemisphere so that would account for why I didn't see. It probably didn't warrant that much news here in Canada either because it couldn't be seen here. At any rate I had never heard about it before or at least don't remember hearing anything about it.

You were very lucky to have seen it, it must have been quite something.

I thought it was visible in Canada

The best places in the northern hemisphere to see Comet McNaught is in Canada, the Scandinavian countries, and Alaska. However, it has been seen as far south as the Midwestern states in the United States and in France, Spain, and Italy in Europe.

Would have been sunrise and mid winter.

oops double post :rolleyes:

University of Western is opening up it s telescope again this year every Saturday from 8pm till 11pm for star gazing. I went last year and was able to see Jupiter. Quite the experience.

I thought it was visible in Canada

The best places in the northern hemisphere to see Comet McNaught is in Canada, the Scandinavian countries, and Alaska. However, it has been seen as far south as the Midwestern states in the United States and in France, Spain, and Italy in Europe.

Would have been sunrise and mid winter.

Ok where is that from because in the link you provided in early it said visible in the southern hemisphere... oh well either way I never heard about it. It was nice that you got to see it.