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Wonder of Science

A meteor burning up in Earth's atmosphere, filmed from the International Space Station.

@wonderofscience The most important data point #ISS collects from this observation is "IT MISSED US!"

@adb @wonderofscience it didn't miss, it disintegrated on impact with the atmosphere. Its components are now mostly a sprinkling of dust and various gases, but they are on earth. There may even be a chunk or two big enough to see with the human eye since it exploded.

@duckwhistle @wonderofscience The point was that it had missed ISS itself.

@adb @wonderofscience
Oh, well yeah. If the ISS had been hit by a meteor I expect it would be a lot bigger news than it taking a photo of one.

@wonderofscience In 1969 I was with some high school friends on a trail around dusk when a meteor came so close to us it we could hear it! And we watched it break up into three pieces. Didn't see or hear it hit the ground though. Still it was an amazing sight. We could actually see it flaming. It was travelling almost parallel to the horizon and maybe half a mile or less from us.

@wonderofscience
🥥 Lovely!
I would have boosted this fascinating overhead view via the International Space Station of a meteor burning up in Earth's atmosphere if only it had some #AltText attached. 🥥

@jstatepost @wonderofscience to be fair, in this case the post already exactly says what it shows. Honest question, is it preferable for people who need alt text that they get the same information a second time?

@schaffertom @wonderofscience
🥥 My opinion, Tom, is that #AltText is an opportunity to attach details to what's being shared, as well as providing observations about what has been presented.
I often discover in the process of creating alttext that I notice things I hadn't seen on first look at the images.
In the case of this meteor, the fact that it's a night view and the flaming object is strongly contrasted with the dark land below seems worth calling out and goes beyond simple repetition. 🥥

@jstatepost @schaffertom @wonderofscience Agreed. I don't boost posts without alt text. I would have boosted this one too.

@waningestrogen You know, given what’s been on the news recently, seeing this makes me think that the earth’s atmosphere is very much like that Iron Dome thing the Israelis have going on.

@wonderofscience It is pretty interesting to watch repeatedly and see what is going on.

The meteor travels, glowing. Then there is a big flash, suggesting it got hot enough to explode, but stuff continues along the path a bit after that explosion. The leftovers, it seems.

@wonderofscience A constant source of ionised gas for us radio amateurs to bounce VHF radio signals off - which can be extraordinarily strong and often suprisingly long-lived.

@wonderofscience

The humanity from down below:

"Here, fall here, please save us" 😅

@wonderofscience That wasn't a meteor, it was a whale and a bowl of petunias.