homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Skydiver nearly struck by meteor, catches it all on film

Anders Helstrup and several other members of Oslo Parachute Club were expecting a good time, and no major events when they went skydiving in Hedmark, Norway. They most certainly weren’t expecting a meteor swooping by past them. This is the first time in history that a meteorite has been filmed in the air after its […]

Mihai Andrei
April 4, 2014 @ 6:59 am

share Share

Anders Helstrup and several other members of Oslo Parachute Club were expecting a good time, and no major events when they went skydiving in Hedmark, Norway. They most certainly weren’t expecting a meteor swooping by past them.

This is the first time in history that a meteorite has been filmed in the air after its light goes out. Thankfully, no one was hurt, even though it was a little too close for comfort. Also, Helstrup had two cameras fixed to his helmet, which allowed him to see the meteor on film, even though he didn’t realize it at the moment.

“I got the feeling that there was something, but I didn’t register what was happening,” Helstrup explained to NRK.no.

Immediately after landing, he watched the film and saw the culprit: a meteor. The adventurers that they are, he and his friends organized a search party, but were unable to find the meteorite. Eventually, he contacted the Natural History Museum in Oslo.

“The film caused a sensation in the meteorite community. They seemed convinced that this was a meteorite, perhaps I was the one who was the most sceptical.”

meteorite

Suddenly, more people got involved, and some triangulated the possible positions of the meteorite and started looking for it. The area has now been limited to 100 x 100 meters, but that’s big enough, especially considering that people don’t exactly know how the meteor looks like.

share Share

How a 1932 Movie Lawsuit Changed Hollywood Forever and Made Disclaimers a Thing

MGM Studios will remember Rasputin forever. After all, he caused them to lose a legal battle that changed the film industry forever.

Launch code for US nuclear arsenal was '00000000' until 1977

When you think about security passwords, your mind probably goes to lengthy, complex combinations; especially when we’re talking about something that can kill billions of people and start a worldwide nuclear holocaust. But things can sometimes be surprising. For 15 years, from the Cuban Missile Crisis through much of the Cold War, the launch codes […]

Even ExxonMobil is telling Trump to tone it down on fossil fuels

Even ExxonMobil, a symbol of fossil fuel dominance, is urging climate action, underscoring the tension between Trump’s policies and industry realities.

In 1911, Einstein wrote a letter to Marie Curie, telling her to ignore the haters

The gist of it is simple: "ignore the trolls".

CT-Scan of an unopened walnut is both beautiful and relaxing

A walnut's rugged shell conceals a labyrinth of chambers and partitions, revealed in mesmerizing detail through CT scanning.

The incredible fishes that wander oceans with a transparent head

They're some of the most unusual creatures in the ocean.

How Internet Slang Has Become Part of Everyday Language

From "LOL" to "FOMO," online lingo is shaping how we communicate.

Millions of Americans are falling for AI-generated content on Facebook

With the 2024 U.S. election on the horizon, AI-generated content is flooding social media, blurring the lines between authentic and synthetic content.

This Polish radio station fired all its journalists and replaced them with AI hosts -- and people are furious

"It is a dangerous precedent that hits us all," said fired journalists.

More Airbnbs, more crime? Airbnb associated with spike in robbery and theft

More to opportunities for crime, and loss of cohesion within communities are contributing to increased crime rates.