Meteor 'like light earthquake'

2009-11-24 08:00

Fanie van Rooyen

Pretoria - The meteor that briefly lit up the sky "like daylight" on Saturday evening at about 23:00 in Limpopo, Gauteng and Mpumalanga, possibly hit the earth near the Botswana border or exploded in the atmosphere.

Several people in northern Limpopo called Beeld on Monday to say that after seeing the spectacle, they had heard a large crash followed by a "light earthquake".

"I saw the bright light through the window, almost as if someone was using a welding machine and I went to look outside," said Derick Kruger, owner of the Exeter game farm about 60km east of Alldays.

He said there were clouds in the sky but no lightning or thunder.

"When I again walked into the house, there was suddenly a loud noise and I could feel the earth shake under my feet."

"It was like a small earthquake."

The next morning, Kruger saw a crack in the wall of one of his chalets.

Explosion

Sharad Master, a senior researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand's Impact Cratering Research Group (ICRG) said the meteor probably exploded in the atmosphere.

"It is very rare that a meteor hits the ground causing an impact crater. It is much more probable that the meteor exploded in the atmosphere as it burnt out and broke into pieces."

According to Master, an explosion like this would also cause shock waves and a loud bang. He said because the meteor was seen over such a wide area, he assumed it was quite big and an impact crater was therefore not possible.

Magda Streicher, an astronomer from Limpopo, said the meteor possibly exploded in the air or crashed to earth near the Platjan border post between Botswana and Limpopo.

"If it did hit the ground, it can therefore be either in Limpopo or in Botswana," said Streicher.

'Bright white flash'

Henry Esterhuizen, who on Saturday evening drove on the R101 road from Bela-Bela (Warmbaths) to his home in Modimolle (Nylstroom) suspects a part of the meteor crashed next to this road.

"My wife and I were heading back from a year-end party when we suddenly saw this bright white flash about 2km north of Klein Kariba on the R101," said Esterhuyzen.

"It came from the right and it looked as if it was going to hit our car, so I hit the brakes. It crashed into bushes about 15cm from the road. It was not very big and didn't move very fast."

Dr Claire Flanagan, director of the Johannesburg Planetarium, has asked people with footage of the meteor (photos, video or on security television) to please contact her on 011 717 1390 or 076 744 4735 or [e-mail].

- Beeld