Cuba and the west coast of the USA have apparently experienced a phenomenon similar to the meteorite that detonated over Russia this week, with startled residents in both locations describing a bright light in the sky and a loud explosion. It remains unknown whether the reported phenomena are related to the meteor strike in central Russia.
According to Cuban island media reports, there were no reports of any injuries or damage such as those caused
by the Russia meteorite, which sent out shockwaves that hurt some 1,200
people and shattered countless windows. In a video from a state TV newscast posted on the website CubaSi late
Friday, unidentified residents of the central city of Rodas, near
Cienfuegos, said the explosion was impressive.
Marcos Rodriguez, whom the video identified as a specialist in anthropology, said all signs point to a meteorite.
A reporter said a similar phenomenon was observed in 1994 elsewhere in Cienfuegos province. The video said Cuban authorities were looking for any fragments that may have fallen to the earth.
Youtube video of Cuban meteor - unverified
A San Francisco meteor is also making headlines less than 24 hours after another giant cosmic event, with the latest one showing up as a bright flash of streaking light seen across the Bay Area.
Reporters of the San Francisco meteor began coming in late Friday night, with KNBC’s Jack Noyes tweeting: “Meteor lights up night Bay area sky. Reports coming in from San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento.”
A video taken at close to 7:45 pm shows a bright bulb of light making a quick descent to earth. Though it appears small on video (and is referred to as a “shooting star”) witnesses vouch that the San Francisco meteor was actually much larger.
One YouTube commenter wrote: “It flew south. It looked bigger in person. Even in person, I did not see much of a tail but I know of nothing that can fly that fast. In my opinion there’s no flare because it didn’t burn up completely in the video. The cam just wasn’t high def enough to catch it fly hundreds of miles down south.”
Though it may seem strange to have two high-profile meteor sightings in a span of a little less than 24 hours, Sacramento City College Astronomy Coordinator Liam McDaid says it’s just a coincidence.
Reporters of the San Francisco meteor began coming in late Friday night, with KNBC’s Jack Noyes tweeting: “Meteor lights up night Bay area sky. Reports coming in from San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento.”
A video taken at close to 7:45 pm shows a bright bulb of light making a quick descent to earth. Though it appears small on video (and is referred to as a “shooting star”) witnesses vouch that the San Francisco meteor was actually much larger.
One YouTube commenter wrote: “It flew south. It looked bigger in person. Even in person, I did not see much of a tail but I know of nothing that can fly that fast. In my opinion there’s no flare because it didn’t burn up completely in the video. The cam just wasn’t high def enough to catch it fly hundreds of miles down south.”
Though it may seem strange to have two high-profile meteor sightings in a span of a little less than 24 hours, Sacramento City College Astronomy Coordinator Liam McDaid says it’s just a coincidence.
More reading - VIDEO Meteor Explosion Injures 950 In Russia, Asteroid DA14 To Brush Past Earth
AP
