KFO

[JimC]

A meteorite with a jagged outside, a moderate density and a relatively small volume could indeed have a surprisingly small terminal velocity...

[macdoc]

and it did

[pErvinalia]

and she was

[macdoc]

[Hermit]

I downloaded the clip. Using VLC media player allows you to go through it one frame at a time. I discovered that the relevant bits are triple / quadruple printed. Maybe they mentioned that in the commentary, but I don't understand Norwegian. Nevertheless, I am now inclined it is genuine footage of a meteor.

Edit: Just found an extended version with English subtitles.

[FBM]

Huh. He reckons it at about 5kg. That would've left a mark.

[mistermack]

I would have thought that a 5kg rock would have exploded into pieces when it hit the atmosphere.
It would certainly cause a visible fireball, so it's surprising nobody saw it.
Skydivers usually have people watching on the ground.

If it came from something bigger, which broke up, then it's even more surprising nobody saw it, or heard it.

[mistermack]

I wonder who owns a meteorite, legally? I would imagine that they could be worth a few quid.

[macdoc]

Yes they are and there disputes about meteors found on private property.

Some at worth $100s per gram..

http://geology.com/meteorites/value-of-meteorites.shtml

[Hermit]

I wonder who owns a meteorite, legally? I would imagine that they could be worth a few quid.

Ownership depends on which country you live in. According to Amundsen that meteor would be worth several hundred thousand Norwegian Kroner.


There are still some things to this story that don't gel.

Why was there no mention of the incident between its publication on youtube a few days ago and the actual event 20 months earlier?

Then there is Amundsen himself. On his facebook page he mentions that he graduated at the university of Oslo in 1991, then worked for Saga Petroleum as a staff geologist from 1992 to 1999. Since then he is manager of Earth and Planetary Exploration Services. No mention at all is made of him working for Oslo uni. At zoominfo he is described as "Lead Investigator University of Oslo, Norway" and "Team Leader University of Oslo". The site also reveals that Amundsen himself established the company he is manager of.

Some sort of publicity stunt? Maybe. Maybe not. To his credit, in August 2012 Amundsen robustly criticised NRK's (or more accurately the radio station NRK owns) for its tabloid style of producing advertorials disguised as legitimate reportage here. (Google translate was surprisingly helpful in this instance.)

While I am no longer prepared to altogether dismiss the story as a hoax, I still have some misgivings.

[FBM]

I would have thought that a 5kg rock would have exploded into pieces when it hit the atmosphere.
It would certainly cause a visible fireball, so it's surprising nobody saw it.
Skydivers usually have people watching on the ground.

If it came from something bigger, which broke up, then it's even more surprising nobody saw it, or heard it.

I think the guy said that the sharp edges on it indicated that it was part of a bigger one that broke up. As for the chance of someone seeing the fireball, I guess it depends on how populated the area was. Since they're poking around in a pretty remote-looking forest, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody saw it. I'm pretty sure the number of meteors that are never seen, especially in the daytime, is far greater than the ones that are. People just don't spend that much time staring at the sky.

[MiM]

I would have thought that a 5kg rock would have exploded into pieces when it hit the atmosphere.
It would certainly cause a visible fireball, so it's surprising nobody saw it.
Skydivers usually have people watching on the ground.

If it came from something bigger, which broke up, then it's even more surprising nobody saw it, or heard it.

I think the guy said that the sharp edges on it indicated that it was part of a bigger one that broke up. As for the chance of someone seeing the fireball, I guess it depends on how populated the area was. Since they're poking around in a pretty remote-looking forest, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody saw it. I'm pretty sure the number of meteors that are never seen, especially in the daytime, is far greater than the ones that are. People just don't spend that much time staring at the sky.

Well, to you, even Oslo would be sparsely populated.

I think the important word here is "day time". You will not see a flash in the day, unless the meteorite is huge.

[FBM]

True that. The population density over here is insane.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I would have thought that a 5kg rock would have exploded into pieces when it hit the atmosphere.
It would certainly cause a visible fireball, so it's surprising nobody saw it.
Skydivers usually have people watching on the ground.

If it came from something bigger, which broke up, then it's even more surprising nobody saw it, or heard it.

I think the guy said that the sharp edges on it indicated that it was part of a bigger one that broke up. As for the chance of someone seeing the fireball, I guess it depends on how populated the area was. Since they're poking around in a pretty remote-looking forest, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody saw it. I'm pretty sure the number of meteors that are never seen, especially in the daytime, is far greater than the ones that are. People just don't spend that much time staring at the sky.

Well, to you, even Oslo would be sparsely populated.

I think the important word here is "day time". You will not see The Flash in the day, unless you inhabit the DC Comics universe.

[rainbow]

A meteorite with a jagged outside, a moderate density and a relatively small volume could indeed have a surprisingly small terminal velocity...

I disagree, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.