Meteorite Crashes Through Cottage In Oslo 122
First time submitter Mastiff in Norway writes "Famous (in Norway) Norwegian astrophycisist Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard is ecstatic after a meteorite was found in an urban cottage in Oslo this weekend. This is the 14th meteorite that's been found in Norway, and only the second that crashed through a roof. It is not certain when the crash happened, since the cottage hasn't been used all winter, but on the 1st of March a big ball of fire was observed over the southern parts of Norway, and it is thought that this may be one of the pieces from that entry into the atmosphere. Maybe it's time to replace those tin foil hats with helmets?"
He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
if it was his cottage that the meteorite had crashed through.
Also, names in l33t sp34k are sooo 90s...
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Informative)
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It's not bad at all.
I was expecting the smoldering remains of a once beautiful cottage. I didn't think a roof from what appears to be a mostly wooden house would stop a piece of rock hurled at it at enormous speeds.
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
... I didn't think a roof from what appears to be a mostly wooden house would stop a piece of rock hurled at it at enormous speeds.
It's good Norwegian wood. I think some guy made a few dollars singing about it.
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It does tend to burn rather well.
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It's good Norwegian wood. I think some guy made a few dollars singing about it.
Jeez, all these years I thought that guy was singing about an encounter with a Norwegian transvestite...
I once had a girl
Or should I say she once had me
She showed me her room
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay
And she told me to sit anywhere
So I looked around
And I noticed there wasn't a chair
ONLY the second? (Score:4, Informative)
"This is the 14th meteorite that's been found in Norway, and only the second that crashed through a roof. "
Who wrote this?
Have you got any idea how "densely" populated Norway is?
Sure, people won't be monitoring all of the countryside for meteorite impacts; but even then, I'm sure they get to see easily more than 7* the roof space area in non-roofed area during their day-to-day activities.
So, among 14 meteorites, 1/7th has hit a house...?
How many meteorites does the country get???
Owning a summer place is a hassle (Score:4, Funny)
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I think they mean the second meteorite that has been known to hit a roof worldwide. The other one hit a woman after going through the roof and bouncing off a radio causing a nasty bruise.
http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/SylacaugaHulittHodgesW.jpg [michaelblo...orites.com]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodges_meteorite [wikipedia.org]
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14
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Norway could be hit by 1,000 meteorites/day, doesn't mean you'll find any of them.
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Once a fragment that small reaches the ground, it's no longer travelling at enormous speeds. The fireball is caused when the meteorite sheds most of its velocity and the energy is turned into heat. Any surviving parts will be falling at terminal velocity, which is uncomfortably high for a piece of rock, but not enormous.
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
African or European rock?
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That's awesomely bizarre. Maybe they'll just repair the damage themselves, but I'd love to hear the call to the insurance company for that one. "You're asking about your coverage for WHAT?"
The broken surface of the meteorite nicely shows the fusion crust and what looks like an interesting brecciated interior.
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Farmers' insurance company in the US has an ad campaign running currently where they specifically brag that they cover damage due to random objects falling from space. Probably more common that you'd think, due to the rarity of these events ever actually occurring.
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Meteor insurance?
This...insurance company...its not based in Bayonne by any chance is it?
http://www.piranhaclub.it/img/sid_enos.gif [piranhaclub.it]
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My renters insurance from when I lived in the US (provided by USAA) coverd damage to insured property due to falling aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and/or objects falling from space on the condition that the object pass through the ceiling, wall, or window prior to it striking and damaging the insured property (i.e. I can't file a claim for a meteor damaging my computer if there's not a hole in the ceiling from the meteor passing through it.).
Fortunately, I never had to use it. /it always seemed odd that
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Fortunately, I never had to use it. /it always seemed odd that anything involving radiation (e.g. ranging from radioactive contamination all the way up to a full-out nuclear explosion) was completely exempted from the policy. I presume that a nuclear explosion would be catastrophic to insurers (not to mention residents) covering that region which is why the exclude it (same thing with floods), but still...
They don't have to - you are covered by the 1957 Price-Anderson Act [nrc.gov] :
Claims resulting from nuclear accidents are covered under Price-Anderson; for that reason, all property and liability insurance policies issued in the U.S. exclude nuclear accidents.”
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I'm jealous. That'd be so much easier and cooler than finishing my renovations and selling my house. My insurance policy says I'm covered for "acts of God". As long as nobody's hurt of course.
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
My insurance policy says I'm covered for "acts of God".
Not to completely hijack the thread, but I've always wondered how that kind of clause works out with atheists or more generally speaking people of non-evangelical christian religions.
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Informative)
The same. In law, at least, it's not a religious concept; in some jurisdictions it is called "force majeure [wikipedia.org]."
IANAL, but these terms basically all seem to mean the same thing, events beyond your control. A war or even a strike can also qualify.
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My housing insurance did not cover war-like acts. It also said that, "A nuclear detonation of any kind will be considered a war-like act, even if conducted during peace time."
Very nice.
Although it doesn't really matter -- I would have bigger things to worry about than housing insurance in that case.
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:4, Funny)
Well at least your refrigerator would survive, so there is that.
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Although it doesn't really matter -- I would have bigger things to worry about than housing insurance in that case.
Strong disagree... I live 1000s of miles downwind of LA. No direct biological effect on me or mine if "they" pop the port of LA with something inside a shipping container, but its basically a dirty bomb attack on me for resale value, or maybe govt certified verified licensed decon, etc.
There's a uniquely American fixation that any nuclear attack means the fireball must be directly over their head because the world revolves around them. More likely it'll happen 2000 miles away.
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My housing insurance ... said that, "A nuclear detonation of any kind will be considered a war-like act, even if conducted during peace time."
Oddly, the US Government has pretty much the same opinion, at least if it is on US territory.
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The same. In law, at least, it's not a religious concept; in some jurisdictions it is called "force majeure [wikipedia.org]."
IANAL, but these terms basically all seem to mean the same thing, events beyond your control.
So this "act of God" concept actually works to the benefit of the atheists. The religious can have their claim denied because they failed to pray that they would be spared the incident or failed to achieve a sufficient degree of piety to influence their deity. The atheists would have no such control, and thus, liability.
Tricky, those insurance lawyers!
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
Not to completely hijack the thread, but I've always wondered how that kind of clause works out with atheists or more generally speaking people of non-evangelical christian religions.
Athiest: "My house got blown away by a tornado, but I'm not collecting the insurance money because there are no gods!" Um, I doubt that will happen.
My question is, what of people who worship money? Would being swindled be an act of god?
Force majeure (Score:1)
Force majeure is a term not often heard, but it is present in many contracts. Basically if something gets to big and unforeseen, most insurance companies does not give coverage. This instance in the article would be too small. But, if a larger thing were to happen, then this clause would come into effect. You should re-read your contract and look for this phrase. I strongly suspect you'll find it in most insurance-contracts. Of course the salesmen will say otherwise in oral terms, but that is only because t
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if it was his cottage that the meteorite had crashed through.
Given what some falls sell for, he might be anyway, as he might make a tidy profit.
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Would they require to destroy it (probably by dissolving in some acid) and send them photographic proof of destruction if you claim it's fake?
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
Also, names in l33t sp34k are sooo 90s...
In this case there is a reason for it. You see, if your profession is astronomy in Norway, it is customary to replace all the O's in your name with Ø so they look like planets with orbits.
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He's a real fun guy. He is very enthisiastic about astronomy, and do a lot of public happenings when there are major astronomical events. Also ver supportive about anything that promotes astronomy and science.
Trust me, my name also contains Ø. It's pronounced uh like in duh.
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In this case there is a reason for it. You see, if your profession is astronomy in Norway, it is customary to replace all the O's in your name with Ø so they look like planets with orbits.
Norwegian Nuclear Physicists do the same thing, although the astronomers claim they came up with the idea first. Considering that astronomy is the older profession of the two, they may indeed have prior art.
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
In this case there is a reason for it. You see, if your profession is astronomy in Norway, it is customary to replace all the O's in your name with Ø so they look like planets with orbits.
I think that this guy bit my sister once.
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thank you. I came to this thread expecting a moose bit my sister joke and it wasn't until your post, almost 1/2 way down the page, until it struck.
good jorb.
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Also, names in l33t sp34k are sooo 90s...
Knut time-travelled here from the 90s you insensitive clod!
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Are we sure it didn't?
Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard
*Something* cracked all the o letters in his name!
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I do like how it only went through the overhang on the house and not into the house. But in customary fashion I shall ignore that I read the article and make outlandish comments based on nothing.
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if it was his cottage that the meteorite had crashed through.
Also, names in l33t sp34k are sooo 90s...
His thrill factor would be off the charts if it had. I'd welcome one to crash through my roof! What's with you? Afraid of a little meteor shower now and then?
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Wooooosh
Re:He wouldn't be so ecstatic (Score:5, Funny)
Wøøøøøsh
FTFY
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Yes, we all know what meteors sound like as they pass through the air.
I saw TFA (Score:1, Funny)
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Conversely anything that appears in a picture is real?
I've got some amazing things to show you! (Any photoshopping done was just to enhance clarity, honest.)
It has started (Score:2)
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I'm pretty sure he was going for "funny" and probably has enough karma to not worry about downmods or need an upmod.
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Norwegians, look to your yards ! (Score:2)
Seriously, anyone here who lives in Norway (especially Oslo) should look for meteorites in their yards, on their roofs, etc. It is very common for meteors to break up as they reenter, and so it is very common, having found one large meteorite in an area, to find others nearby.
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And have cracks in them.
See?
Ø
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How would you be able to tell the meteorite from other rocks? Assuming they didnt leave an impact crater.
Look for something that seems out of place.
If you see a rock on your lawn or in your flower bed, hopefully you would know if it was there last week, or not. Likewise, rocks don't tend to get on roofs by other means.
Also, this fall did have a nice fusion crust and most (but not all) meteorites are magnetic.
Looking in your yard for a meteorite would normally be a waste of time, except that it is a good assumption that there are other pieces of this out there that no one has recognized.
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How would you be able to tell the meteorite from other rocks? Assuming they didnt leave an impact crater.
...
If you see a rock on your lawn or in your flower bed, hopefully you would know if it was there last week, or not. Likewise, rocks don't tend to get on roofs by other means.
...
Your neighborhood must have much better behaved kids than mine.
God Hates Norwegian Cottages (Score:5, Funny)
It's the only rational explanation.
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Oh I don't know, Norway now has a little piece of heaven on earth. 14 pieces apparently.
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(Highest number of atheist and non-religious in Europe, plus we burn churches for sport)
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It gets even funnier if you misread "It is not certain why the crash happened, since the cottage hasn't been used all winter".
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Internet atheists would do well to remember that we also have a STATE CHURCH and not only is there no separation of religion and government, offices in the STATE CHURCH are (in theory) appointed by the king.
We just don't go ape over religious issues like some other countries I know.
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Albert said God doesn't roll dice, but apparently he does throw stones.
Uptick in meteorites? (Score:1)
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Who says you need to choose between them anyways? Covey your helmet with aluminum HVAC tape, have the best of both worlds.
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Actually you can click Share and then the little "f".
Cottages (Score:2)
"Look, good against cottages is one thing. Good against the living with a tin foil hat? That's something else."
fascinating (Score:2)
That is so cool, I glanced at the pics, wondering did the rock bury itself deep in the cottage? Or maybe its speed reduced to a rate equivalent as if tossed from a high rise?
OK, so when will someone post a Bruce Willis reference or a car analogy?
Re:fascinating (Score:4, Informative)
source: http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/meteors/impacts.html [utk.edu]
Hodges Meteorite (Score:5, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylacauga_(meteorite) [wikipedia.org]
So, what you're saying is... (Score:3)
Meteorite? (Score:1)
So it landed, bounced, and then crashed through the cottage?
Or was it just a meteor like most? :-P :-P :-P :-P
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It became a meteorite the instant it touched the cottage roof.
Then it crashed through.
Re:Meteorite? (Score:5, Insightful)
Value? (Score:2)
So, do they now own the meteorite (how cool!), and how much is something like that worth?
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Depends a lot on the type. If it is shown this one is from Mars, for example, it's worth a lot.
Free association result: (Score:3)
I guess Thor caught his flight to Oslo.
A meteørite ønce bit my sister... (Score:3)
Nø, really!
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Meteørite bites kan be pretty nasti.
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Meteørite bites kan be pretty nasti.
Doncha no...
How does one know? (Score:2)
I have always wondered how you can know if a certain rock is from outer space? I mean how can you be certain that this specific rock was a meteorite. I understand that meteorites are composed of different material from the rocks in the area, but how do you know it is from outer space and not from a volcano on earth for example?
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This rock has a fusion crust - i.e., it went through re-entry. That is a dead give-away that it is real. It doesn't happen otherwise in nature, and it would not be easy to hoax.
The way to be even more sure is through isotope analysis - meteorites have different isotope ratios than do any terrestrial material. That never happens in nature, and would be damn near impossible to hoax.
piece of the bifrost... (Score:1)
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_World famous_ (in Norway) (Score:1)
That should read "_World famous_ (in Norway)..."
Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaards _default_ state is ecstatic so this isn't really news.
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MuMetal is quite fragile -- it loses its magnetic shielding properties if you as much as bend it. It might be somewhat impractical to wear it -- it'd need to be bonded to a stiff substrate to protect it from being deformed too much.
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MuMetal is quite fragile -- it loses its magnetic shielding properties if you as much as bend it. It might be somewhat impractical to wear it -- it'd need to be bonded to a stiff substrate to protect it from being deformed too much.
Well, duh! If it is to protect you from mind control AND meteorites of course it will be bonded to a nice sturdy Kevlar helmet!
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Duh, I should have thought of that ;) Thanks.
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it has become a not uncommon occurence to have meteorites crashing through roofs on their way to the planet's surface.
No, you don't. It's not a meteorite unless it hits the ground, so unless the object hit the ground and bounced back up, it's not a meteorite when it hits someone.
Semantics aside, this says nothing about the over- or under- population of your planet. You could be living on (pre-crash) Trantor and have nearly all of the very few meteors hit a residence (leaving the out open-air palace garden area) or you could be living in the lone shack on a planet hit by very many meteors. Or you could have an abandoned p
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(apologies for self-commenting faux pas...)
The above should have read "...where I would have been struck by a *meteor* of I lived in an above-ground house?"
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(just mod me into oblivion, why not)
The above should read:
The above should have read "...where I would have been struck by a *meteor* if I lived in an above-ground house?"