Scientists are still trying to figure out what happened here . . .
Watch the Asteroid 2012 DA14 LIVE as it passes by Earth today. NASA will broadcast LIVE Video of the asteroid beginning at 2pm (click here) when it passes closer to earth than the GPS satellite you use to find your way around Boston. They say nobody on Earth is in danger . . .
Good Morning Gloucester 
I just happened to watch Meteor (2009) last night……this is just downright scary
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Scary indeed. Windows shattered. Schools evacuated. Cell phones didn’t work. Fireballs in the sky. Black smoke hanging in the air: Check this out: http://youtu.be/36MEsWC1Pzc
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Technically, the GPS satllites orbit at medium earth orbit, 12,600 miles up. The meteor whistled by closest approach of 17,300 miles up. That is well below geosynchronous satellites that are at 22,600 miles up. So high they orbit in 24 hours so are stationary. These are communications and weather satellites mostly.
There are two satellites in stationary orbit which send to your gps receiver corrections for atmospheric interference and data on which of the gps satellites are out of position so on a wicked technicality you are correct. But the dudes who do most of the gps legwork wizz around in 90 minute orbits.
Sheesh, I think I just bored the shit out of myself. Nevermind.
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I like being right, even if it hangs on a wicked technicality. And I wasn’t bored in the least. Actually, I was riveted. Really, you should read your comment as if you didn’t know all that stuff. You might just realize how entertaining you are!
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True, GPS satellite are 12625 miles high, but their time of orbit at that altitude would be 11 hours and 58 minutes earth time (12 hours sidereal time). There are 24 (plus a spare or two) of them orbiting – 4 equidistant satellites in each of 6 different planes 60 degrees apart from the neighboring plane. This assures that no matter where on earth you are, you are in range of at least 4 satellites (3 for triangulation and 1 more to get an exact time)
A satellite with an orbit time of 90 minutes would be in low earth orbit (approx 100 – 250 mile altitude.)
And you thought you were bored before!
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Not bored at all. Most of us take the little GPS that now comes free with our phone for granted. It’s good to know just how much is required to make that little bugger work!
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That was amazing, and a bit scary. It looked alot closer than 17,300 miles.
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The video is of a different meteor that hit Russia earlier in the morning. Another meteor flew by about 2:30pm. Lots of action up there yesterday.
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The International Space station is just 200 miles up. Approx.
That Russian meteor was awesome. Incredible that they both happened on the same day.
Perhaps God is angry about the Pope & Pastorius and Congress.
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If God were gonna throw rocks at us, don’t you think they’d both hit?
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