A small asteroid exploded over Africa this week following what astronomers said was the first firm prediction of an incoming space rock. It did not strike Earth.
The asteroid was about the size of kitchen table, astronomers estimated, and they think the explosion (caused by the pressures of slamming into the atmosphere) left nothing but perhaps a few small bits to fall to the surface.
No photographs of the explosion have been reported, owing to the remote location of the object’s path over Sudan. But the explosion was recorded by an infrasound array in Kenya. Peter Brown at the University of Western Ontario estimated, based on the infrasound data, that the asteroid exploded at 0243 UT with an energy of somewhere between 1.1 and 2.1 kilotons of TNT.
On Monday, NASA researchers and other scientists announced that the space rock, named 8TA9D69, would enter the air at 10:46 p.m. ET (0246 UT) on Oct. 7 over northern Sudan. Such events occur a few times every year, but never before had one been predicted. The object was expected to create a very bright fireball that, for anyone who might have seen it, would have been far more dramatic than the typical shooting star resulting when small debris streaks through Earth’s atmosphere.
“A typical meteor comes from an object the size of a grain of sand,” Gareth Williams of the Minor Planet Center explained just before the highly anticipated event. “This meteor will be a real humdinger in comparison!”
There has been one visual confirmation of the exploding fireball, according to Spaceweather.com. Jacob Kuiper, a general aviation meteorologist at the National Weather Service in The Netherlands, told pilots to keep an eye out.
“I have received confirmation that a KLM airliner, roughly 750 nautical miles southwest of the predicted atmospheric impact position, has observed a short flash just before the expected impact time 0246 UTC,” Kuiper said. “Because of the distance it was not a very large phenomenon, but still a confirmation that some bright meteor has been seen in the predicted direction.”
The rock was discovered by an ongoing survey at Mt. Lemmon run by the University of Arizona as part of the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey for near-Earth objects.
Once again the Internet has proven its ability to quickly respond to political gaffes. Less than two hours after last night’s Presidential debate ended sites began popping up to support “That One” for President.
For those who might have missed the debate (and shame on you if you did), “That One” is how Senator John McCain referred to Senator Barack Obama when talking about who voted for an energy bill. In response, the Web sites ThatOne2008.com and ThatOne08.com have sprung up to exploit McCain’s rather derisive choice of terms for his opponent. Instead of regarding the term as the dismissive reference that was intended, they’re embracing it.
ThatOne2008.com is a simpler site, with just a video clip of McCain saying “that one” in the debate as well as links to Obama’s campaign site, an Obama iPhone app, and a link to where you can buy shirts that read “I’m voting for that one.”
ThatOne08 takes it a step further, rewriting Obama’s biography information by replacing his name with the words “that one.” It also has its own selection of shirts, as well as a link to a Facebook page for supporters of “That one 08.”
While I respect the speed and creativity of the people who made these sites, it terrifies me to think about the implications of these sites. There were a lot of intelligent and meaningful things said by both candidates in last night’s debate, but gaffes like this are all most people will pay attention to.
Al-Shabab fighters have killed at least fourteen Somali soldiers in an attack on a military checkpoint south of the capital, Mogadishu.
Heavily armed fighters from the military wing of the Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC), al-Shabab, attacked and took control of Sarkuusta checkpoint near an Ethiopian base in southern Mogadishu, Press TV’s Somali correspondent reported Wednesday.
They left the checkpoint after firing several mortars 19 of which landed on a nearby Ethiopian Woyane base.
Ethiopian TPLF soldiers Thugs locked to the scene and went on a shooting spree, killing three civilians.
Also on Wednesday, two Somali soldiers were killed by unknown gunmen in a Mogadishu teashop. Four civilians were also injured in the violence.
Chief Ferman Richardson, Quincy Poice Department, said Wondwossen Gizaw, the manager of the Quincy BP gas station shot early this morning, is in stable condition.
Richardson said 45-year old Gizaw had surgery today at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital for his bullet wounds.
TMH has not given official word of Gizaw’s status.
Gizaw who was known by neighborhood residents as “Wandu” was shot three times while trying to close his gas station this morning.
Richardson said QPD has leads to the three suspects involved in this robbery.
… updated 10:27 a.m.
A gas-station manager in Quincy was shot several times during a robbery early this morning.
The man was shot in the arm, leg and chest, said Ferman Richardson, chief of the Quincy Police Department. He was taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, where he is stable.
It happened about 12:50 a.m. at the BP station, 502 W. Jefferson St. Three people wearing black clothes and red gloves came into the store. After the shooting, they left in a blue Cadillac.
Anyone with information is asked to call 627-7111.
… first update
The manager of a BP gas station in Quincy was shot several times this morning during a robbery, according to Quincy Police Department officials.
Three people came into the store wearing black clothes and red gloves. After the manager was shot, they left in a Cadillac.
A reporter is being sent to the scene. Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Joseph Shankut looked distraught as he walked into his BP gas station, 504 W. Jefferson St., Tuesday afternoon.
Shankut owned the gas station with his brother Wondwossen Gizaw, who was shot three times early Tuesday when three men robbed him as he was closing the Quincy store.
“It’s a shock,” Shankut said.
Shankut said the gas station has been burglarized a couple of times, but nothing like this has ever happened.
“I’m glad he’s OK,” Shankut said.
The incident happened about 12:50 a.m. Three people wearing black clothes and red gloves came into the store. After the shooting, they left in a blue Cadillac.
The Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office and the Quincy Police Department are investigating the robbery.
Quincy Police Chief Ferman Richardson, said the incident was a crime of opportunity.
He said officers responded to a robbery on Jefferson an hour before the gas station robbery was called in.
“The response time was only two minutes,” Richardson said.
Richardson said Gizaw was able to call police following the shooting and he gave a description of what the suspects were wearing and the vehicle before he was taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Travis Barkley, who owns the car wash adjacent to the gas station, said Gizaw, known to neighbors as “Wandu,” was a good man.
“I don’t know who would have done that,” he said, “He’s a good dude.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers hot line at 574-TIPS or (888) 876-TIPS.
KAMPALA, UGANDA (APA) – Uganda’s renowned scientist and minister of state for agriculture, Kibirige Sebunya died on Wednesday morning at the national referral hospital in Kampala.
He succumbed to cancer of the tongue and throat that had seen him admitted in hospital for a long time in Germany before he returned to Uganda.
Sebunya was famed for developing coffee varieties resistant to the wilt disease.
His extensive research led to the introduction of the clonal coffee which takes a relatively shorter time than other varieties to mature.
Information and National Guidance Minister Al hajji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja said Uganda has lost a dynamic and brilliant scientist and tough politician.
Dr Kibirige Sebunya died at Mulago hospital in Kampala this morning. He had been admitted at the hospital suffering from throat cancer. Sebunya had already been flown to different hospitals overseas but was brought back and admitted at Mulago.
Uganda’s third deputy premier and information minister, Alhaji Kirunda Kivejinja, said that government had worked tirelessly to save Dr.Kibirige’s life but unfortunately it was not possible.
He said that government and Uganda as a whole has lost a dynamic and brilliant scientist in Agriculture and tougher politician who will be greatly missed.
Meanwhile Uganda’s cabinet meets anytime from now to draw up strategies for the burial of the minister
The asteroid was about the size of kitchen table, astronomers estimated, and they think the explosion (caused by the pressures of slamming into the atmosphere) left nothing but perhaps a few small bits to fall to the surface.
