Watch a meteorite explode over Route 66 in the Mojave Desert (video)

20 Feb 2016

Amazing time-lapse video captures an exploding meteorite and the effect of our world spinning in this vast starry ocean we call the universe.

Time lapse videos shot in the most isolated places provides us with a glimpse of a beauty we can only imagine and remind us that in the greater scheme of space and our own universe we are tiny specks of star dust as this meteorite explosion captured over Route 66 in the Mojave desert shows.

Growing up, every Easter and summer my parents would take me and my siblings to our grandmother’s house nestled in a valley in the Gaeltacht area of west Donegal, miles from the nearest town or village. Because we were so far away from the lights of towns and there was nothing to obstruct our view and on clear nights the stars felt so achingly close that we imagined we could touch them. Falling stars descended with seeming regularity to our young minds. For one thing, we felt and accepted our place in the universe.

That’s why this enchanting video Mojave Blues, shot and edited by astro-photographer Harun Mehmedinovic as part of Project SKYGLOW showing meteorite explosions, zodiac lights and swirling star patterns is a visual delight.

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Project SKYGLOW is an ongoing collaboration between Mehmedinovic and Gavin Heffernan who are travelling the US to capture serene views of the night sky from isolated places.

The plan is to produce a book and DVD of the material they’ve captured and a crowdfunding goal of $70,000 has been surpassed and has now been stretched to $100,000.

The purpose of SKYGLOW is to raise awareness of urban light pollution.

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This amazing time-lapse video captures an exploding meteorite, a flash of zodiac light and the effect of our world spinning in this vast starry ocean we call the universe.

This video was shot in the Mojave desert along the famous Route 66, but I would like to think Mehmedinovic and Heffernan would capture similar beauty if they ever came to Donegal on Ireland’s west coast.

Enjoy!

Gigglebit is Siliconrepublic’s daily dose of the funny and fantastic in science and tech, to help start your day on a lighter note – because sometimes the lighter side of STEM should be taken seriously, too.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

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