Bright fireball seen over southern U.S.

Leonids did not disappoint ...clouds did

Major display of the Northern Lights visible in skies over Oklahoma and Arkansas

Photo Copyright Todd Lindley 2001
NWS Tulsa meteorologist Todd Lindley photographed the partial solar eclipse from Norman, OK on December 14th. The view is through an 8 inch reflecting telescope using a full aperture solar filter. The dark spots on the sun's surface are sun spots. The largest complex visible was designated NOAA 9733. This complex of sun spots had exploded in a series of very strong solar flares during the days just before Friday's eclipse. Such explosions can lead to auroras in the earth's atmosphere, if they are directed towards the earth. Weaker flares resulted in the November auroras noted at the bottom of this web site. The recent flares produced from complex 9733, however, were not earth directed.

Widespread cloud cover obscured the skies over Oklahoma and most of Arkansas for the annual Geminid meteor shower Thursday, December 13. The stubborn clouds remained tough over the eastern parts of the area through midday Friday...threatening a total wipeout of the much anticipated astronomy marathon. By the time the partial solar eclipse began, however, sufficient breaks in the clouds allowed viewing for many across the region.

The show began around 3:15 PM...when the moon first started to overtake the southwest corner of the sun. By 4:15...About one quarter of the sun had disappeared behind the moon. Although most people who were outside during the eclipse noticed no darkening of the sky, the eclipse could be viewed using either a safe projection method or a solar filter.

Photo Copyright Todd Lindley 2001
Another shot of the partial eclipse. This time taken with a 210 mm zoom lens through a solar filter. Both photos were taken around 4:15 PM CST, near the peak of the eclipse. Note: since this photo is not taken through a telescope, the image is oriented as it actually appeared in the sky. The mirrors in the reflecting telescope used for the previous photo produced an upside down and mirror reversed image.

Bright fireball seen over Oklahoma...Texas and Kansas

A very bright fireball was witnessed by many across Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas during the late evening of Saturday, December 1, 2001. A fireball is an exceptionally bright meteor. The event was very obvious to most people who were out doors between 10:00 and 10:30 PM CST. Reports indicate that drivers on area highways and interstates actually pulled over to take in the event. Fireballs are often natural events caused when relatively large meteors encounter the earth's atmosphere. Some fireballs result from so called "space junk" that re-enters the atmosphere. This junk could includes man made objects such as debris from rockets. Reports indicate that this fireball fractured into several smaller pieces as it plummeted earthward, which is very common. Up to four pieces left persistent vapor trails as they streaked from south to north across the sky. It has been determined that this fireball was not natural, it was the result of space junk from a rocket launch which put three GPS satellites into orbit.

Fireballs are not uncommon. A major fireball was observed by thousands late last summer across the northeast U.S. Very few if any of these result in any material reaching the ground. Most burn up well above the earth's surface, hence the great light show!

Clouded out for the Leonids

Unfortunately, most people across eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas were clouded out for the spectacular Leonid meteor shower Sunday morning. Clouds were numerous and thick enough to obscure the view across most of the region. Some observers across central and western Oklahoma were spared the clouds, at least well enough to see periods of meteor activity. Members of the Tulsa Astronomy club drove to the high plains of west Texas, where they witnessed the memorable event under beautiful dark skies. Their reports indicate a few thousand meteors, some bright enough to cast shadows on the ground. The peak of the activity occurred around 4:30 am. Observers across west Texas reported moments when 5 to 10 meteors were visible simultaneously. Meteorologists from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma reported similar sightings. Their reports indicate periods with 3 to 5 meteors visible during a single moment. 

Oklahoma and Arkansas were not the only places where people reported seeing the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) last Monday evening (November 5, 2001). Observers as far south as northern Georgia, southeast Texas, and far southern California reported seeing the strong aurora display. The shades of red and green in the skies above Oklahoma and Arkansas prompted numerous phone calls to the meteorologists on duty here at the NWS in Tulsa.

Last Monday's unusual Northern Lights show was caused when a strong solar flare erupted from a complex of sunspots early Sunday, November 4th. Highly energetic particles were ejected during the flare, and began a nearly two day journey towards the earth. The "shock front" from the resulting coronal mass ejection impacted the earth's atmosphere on Monday evening, and instigated a major geomagnetic storm. Vivid auroras were visible across most of the continental U.S. where cloud cover did not inhibit the view.

Most people do not expect to see the Northern Lights as far south as Oklahoma and Arkansas. In fact, weak and much less brilliant aurora displays are visible from our latitude occasionally during periods of peak solar activity. Such solar activity is currently peaking, and does so on an eleven year cycle. During the last two years, no less than a half dozen aurora displays have reached latitudes as far south as Oklahoma and Arkansas. Displays of the magnitude witnessed across the region last Monday, however, probably occur only a few times every fifty years.  To learn more about the aurora and see current data on solar activity visit NOAA's Space Environment Center's web site.

Last Updated: Dec. 26, 2001