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Science & Technology

Mystery orb crash: 'It was like Armageddon'

Published: 12 Dec 12 08:28 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/45012/20121212/

Frightened residents in western Sweden reported seeing a bright, blue light racing across the night sky on Tuesday before an orange-coloured orb smashed into the ground in a mysterious phenomenon that has yet to be explained.

"It lit up the sky and flew over us, then we heard an explosion," witness Jessica Berg told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

"It was very weird. Uncomfortably weird."

Another witness, 24-year-old Sandra, thought the light may have been due to fireworks, but began to wonder when she never heard an accompanying pop.

"Then I thought it was a comet because it looked a little like an orb. It was red with a yellow sheen that surrounded and followed it," she told the paper.

"It looked like something was falling from the sky like in a film, like Armageddon or something.

"I've never seen anything like it."

Aviation authorities were quick to rule out initial theories that a plane had crashed somewhere deep in the forests of Värmland County.

They, as well as police, suspect the mysterious night light and thunderous blast that prompted a flood of calls from concerned residents may have been caused by a meteorite.

"We don't know, but it could have been a part of the meteor shower people have been talking about," duty officer Leif Svensson of the Värmland County police told the TT news agency.

The first calls to emergency service SOS came around 10.25pm from Forshaga, a town about 25 kilometres north of Karlstad.

More calls came from Stöllet, Ekshärad and Karlstad, and on Facebook, police in Sunne reported a rumbling reminiscent of an earthquake.

"And we've also received information that people on the west coast and even in Finland made observations," Svensson told TT.

Neither police or other authorities have plans to investigate the strange sound and light phenomena.

According to TT, Svensson chuckled when asked if uniformed officers would be sent out to comb a wide area of remote woodland in search what might be a rock from outer space before answering decisively "no".

Later on Wednesday afternoon, amateur meteorologist Mats Yderstig told the Nya Wermlands-Tidningen newspaper that he thought it was a small meteorite, likely around 50 centimetres in diameter, that exploded in the air.

“That would explain the bang that was heard in the area,” he said.

“Most meteorites burn up and are destroyed when they enter the atmosphere, but some can continue toward the earth.”

TT/The Local/dl
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10:22 December 12, 2012 by Seamus Sean
9 days to go! Beware!!!
10:46 December 12, 2012 by David S
So it looked like a meteorite. Sounded like a meteorite. Otherwise acted like a meteorite.

But it's "a mysterious phenomenon that has yet to be explained"??

Really? We'll I can fix that for you.

It was a meteorite.
11:05 December 12, 2012 by bubbagump
North Korea launched a "satelite" into polar orbit last night. Maybe it didn't hold it's orbit. But hey, at least the rocket worked like it was supposed to.
11:53 December 12, 2012 by Mpf
Unexplained?

December 13/14, 2012, late night December 13 until dawn December 14 Geminids

The final major meteor shower of every year (unless one surprises us!) is always the December Geminid shower, often producing 50 or more meteors per hour. It is a beloved shower, because, as a general rule, it's either the August Perseids or the December Geminids that give us the most prolific display of the year. Best of all, the new moon guarantees a dark sky on the peak night of the Geminid shower (mid-evening December 13 until dawn December 14). But the nights on either side of the peak date should be good as well. Unlike many meteor showers, you can start watching the Geminids by 9 or 10 p.m. local time. The peak might be around 2 a.m. local time on these nights, because that's when the shower's radiant point is highest in the sky as seen around the world. With no moon to ruin the show, 2012 presents a most favorable year for watching the grand finale of the meteor showers. Best viewing of the Geminids will probably be from about 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on December 14.

Taken from: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide

This has been reported in the media already with Sweden one of the coutries which will have the best view apparently!
18:00 December 12, 2012 by zeulf
stackars tomte on a test flight
20:23 December 13, 2012 by karex
Saw two "strays" on my way home from work this evening and it was only 7 pm. The night is brutally cold, clear and starry, not a cloud in the sky and no moon. Looking forward to watching the meteor shower later on!
21:28 March 17, 2013 by cflcanada
I also witnessed this ORB on Dec 12 2012 around 5;40 pm Atlantic Standard Time from the East Coast of Canada.It came from the south and was headed North at a high rate of speed and was perfectly round with grey kind of colour in it,and was illuminated.I followed it until i couldn't see it anymore(3-5 seconds) and suddenly on the horizon there were 3 Huge green flashes followed by 1 orange flash and 1 red flash and then it was gone. (not a sound).
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