NUFORC Sighting 73604

Occurred: 2008-02-12 21:25 Local
Reported: 2009-12-07 04:27 Pacific
Duration: 30 -35 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Dalkieth (Edinborough (UK/Scotland), , United Kingdom

Shape: Other


asteroid from bedroom window through a skywatcher 4 in scope

hi there on 02 12 2008 and at around 9.25 pm, (give or take a few minutes either way), I saw this asteroid tumbling past the moon, and it was rotating in an anticlockwise direction. After wards and upon checking my compass, I saw that the moon was lying West of me, and the asteroid came roughly from the south heading to the north. I observed this asteroid for approximately 25-30 seconds! Much to my amazement, I could see this asteroid quite clearly, and it was clear enough to see additional features on it. The only thing I am really not sure about is the size of this asteroid when it was going pass the moon and when comparing it with the space station that I once saw in my telescope. If I had to estimate the asteroid size, I would not hesitate to guess its size to be at least 4-5 times the size of space station in length but 1-2 times its size in width. This is clearly an endangerment to the world, and personally, a serious enough threat in my opinion to po! ssibly cause an worldwide extinction if it was to collide with earth. I will now explain and go through the sequence of events of what happened that night.

I had just come down the road from my mums, and I was going to my own home. It was almost 9.00 pm when I arrived to my house. As I was arriving, I was thinking about getting the telescope prepared for a night's viewing. So I went into my back room on the second floor where the telescope was being stored. The room has a large window that faces towards my back yard of where I live which has very little light pollution in that direction. Anyways, the window is always fully opened ventilating the house and keeping the telescope cooled. I have a Sky watcher 4 inch telescope (a run of the mill) with two eyepieces: a 25mm and a 10mm. Well, the 25mm is the one I used for viewing the moon and the sky, and I centered the telescope on the moon. I took a quick glance at the moon, then exited the room to make a cup of tea to drink, then I went back to the telescope and casually peeked into the eyepiece.

The moon had moved and the telescope was out of alignment for viewing the moon. So I carefully moved the telescope back into position as I was looking through the eyepiece. Then I saw this huge shadows of light,and dark like fingers beginning to appear in the telescope. I was saying to myself, "Oh! What's that as I raised the telescope higher?" I quickly centered right onto this asteroid. "Wow!" That was my first and immediate reaction this asteroid was tumbling slowly. I don't know how fast this asteroid was going, but it was moving slow enough to allow me to zoom in even more closer to it for viewing. It was Grey in color,and almost like pumice stone in composition, with various pot holes about it while it was tumbling around in a anticlockwise direction. I was mesmerized and captivated by it, I was concentrated on seeing more of features that was on it.

If you allow me to explain in inches hypothetically speaking could be miles, it was quite oblong in length if i say inches it could be miles it was 6-7 inches long by 2-3 inches wide, and it was also quite well rounded as it appeared in the telescope. Then this piece that kept catching my eye was probably about 2 inches down. It would sort of step down, (say half a inch), then along 2 inches (maybe 3 inches), then this piece step back up. in this step down piece. It was almost dusty, and it had some mounds, could be hills! with a few look-like potholes placed about it. I am able to remember every details of it, so I drew a picture of it afterwards while it was still fresh in my memory.

Oh, there is so much to say about this asteroid. Really. Anyways, I was so exited looking at this asteroid tumbling that I accidentally bumped the telescope into the side of my window frame with very much to my dismay. I pulled the telescope towards me to try get another sighting, and I tried to align the asteroid back into my telescope view, but there was nothing. It was nowhere to be seen. "Wow", I said to myself. "This asteroid was in my sight for about 25-30 seconds and I still cant believe I saw it".

I went through my kitchen to check on the time. The clock is a bit slow, or it could be a bit fast. Anyways, the clock said 25 minutes past 9 pm (gmt time) on the February 12, 2008. I swear this, it is a true event of that night, and I have no reason to lie. I told all the family, my brother's friend, I have told everyone i know I didn't have a computer with internet access, but now I do.so i can research it , The asteroid is certainly a threat to our well being, and I believe its a cause for concern. "It was anything else than an asteroid. And no way was it space junk or a satellite",as my local observatory told me. I said it was definately a rock, and they said it could not have been an asteroid. I'm a stone mason by trade, and this was no boulder you might see in the back garden. No one seems to believe me.

I'm telling you it was huge. Please help me. These astronomers in chile pinged some asteroid on the 12th Feb. I don't know, but this one could have been it. Probably not, but what a coincidence...eh... the 12th here 13th there.maybe they pinged it farther on than the moon i don,t know Anyways, please help me. I hope this info is of use to you. It was most certainly between our atmosphere and the moon and near earth's atmosphere. I would say it was traveling southerly to northerly on the time that I stated above. Oh, I live in Dalkieth, Scotland. I must have been in the right place at the right time to get it. These pictures I drew of it are going away because if the asteroid ever gets filmed and i have drawings, and if ever gets into the news, they may ask, "How come you drew pictures of it?" well i will say i warned everyone of it That's my theory anyways. Although I have little in the way of proof, I know what I saw 100%. Also, I would like to say that I have now emailed a few people about it, and no one seems interested. These big telescopes look deep into space, and the observatory probably missed what is on there own back door. I trust you will give me some addresses, or at least point me in the right direction. I know it happened. There is no dou! bt about that. Are some people trying not to say anything about it because what is the use of putting the public in fear for a near miss? I trust this is not the case, because someone somewhere must have saw it too. Some web cam or some video of the night sky somewhere must have filmed it.if its been taped someone somewhere must have it on tape . If they have a tape of that night then it will be on it, if it isnt then it isnt a tape of that night because it should show up 100%.i fell so strongly against people telling me that i could not have saw it because how do they know stranger thing have been believed im unsure about the time because my clock is slow i never noticed it till one night when i took a pic of the clock and saw it was prob at least 11 mins slow against camera time thanks for reading this and watch out if anyone can help you can request my email from the ufo centre.

Posted 2009-12-12

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