... and mysterious objects.. . . and mysterious objects At 4:20 a.m. last Sept. 19, a resident of Yellowknife in theNorthwest Territories watched a point of light flash across the sky. He called the local office of the Geological Survey The term geological survey can be used to describe both the conduct of a survey for geological purposes and an institution holding geological information. A geological survey of Canada to see if they had noticed anything on their seismic measuring devices This is an incomplete list of measuring devices. word Measures accelerometer acceleration actinometer heating power of sunlight alcoholometer alcoholic strength of liquids altimeter altitude ammeter electric current, amperage . Analysis of that morning's readings showed that somethinghad traveled over the devices at a height of 45 kilometers and a speed of 12 kilometers a second, with no evidence of having hit the earth. Frank M. Anglin and his colleagues at the Survey concluded the object was meteor meteor, appearance of a small particle flying through space that interacts with the earth's upper atmosphere. While still outside the atmosphere, the particle is known as a meteoroid. Countless meteoroids of varying sizes are moving about the solar system at any time. that produced a strong sonic son·ic adj. Of, relating to, or determined by audible sound. wave. While seismometers have picked up the crashing of meteors into the earth, the Sept. 19 observation is apparently the first time they have detected an aerial event, says Anglin. The Yellowknife instruments are intended to pick up seismicsignals from underground nuclear testing Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of nuclear weapons that are performed underground. Most nuclear tests have historically been performed underground, in order to prevent nuclear fallout from entering into the atmosphere. ; knowing that a meteor can show up on the reading will help in seismic verification of nuclear test blasts, Anglin says. "You don't like mysterious signals lying around,' he says. |
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