'Fireball' Believed 100-Pound Meteor  

The Edmonton Journal
Monday, April 5, 1965

PENTICTON, B.C. (CP)


Preliminary inquiries indicate that the "fireball" that was seen last week was a fast-moving meteor that weighed more than 100 pounds.

Dr. E. P. Argylle, federal astronomer who made the estimate, emphasized in an interview Sunday that it was subject to change after careful analysis of information acquired and yet-to-be acquired.

But with that qualification, he estimated that the meteor was fast moving, fell at a fairly steep angle and continued to burn to an extremely low altitude.

NEAR SICAMOUS

It may have hit the ground at supersonic velocity that would make a crater. It probably fell near Sicamous, 60 miles east of Kamloops, B.C. Its light was in the neighborhood of 10,000,000,000 candle power.

Dr. Argylle said the ordinary "shooting star" seen high in the sky is a meteor about the size of a grain of sand with 10,000 candle power of light.

Dr. Argylle and Dr. John GaIt, both of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory at White Lake near here, conducted about 100 interviews during the weekend in seeking information that would give the approximate area of the fall.

At the same time the two compared notes with a University of Alberta team from Edmonton that was also investigating the fireball.

SEARCH PARTY

Dr. Argylle said after more interviews all information will be analyzed and a decision will be made whether there is enough data to warrant a search party. The party would consist of persons from the Universities of B.C. and Alberta and the observatory.

American and Canadian officials have discounted earlier theories that the fireball was an American satellite re-entering the atmosphere.

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