homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Battle of Britain + Battle of Britain II Here's what happened (Continued)

Folks:

We have 45 degrees F. and partly cloudy skies in eastern NC t 8:30 this fine morning. The day promises to be warmer than average. Yawn. Odd isn't it how when one person yawns others may feel compelled to do the same. One of you started it and now I'm yawning too.

OK if our weather bores you here is something a tiny bit more exciting. Aliens landed in our area last night! Yes, you read that right. Now before you make an emergency call that brings those big fellows with no sense of humor in white coats and carrying a straight jacket to my door, read on. If they have to come out here once more, you see, I have to actually pay for it.

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED

My little granddaughter had taken the dog out about 9 PM. She usually does that at the same time otherwise about 9:30 PM the dog tends to turn in circles several times then pee on the carpet. I heard that wise crack Dux. She absolutely does not have to take me out for the same reason as my late wife made absolutely certain I was house broken before she married me.

While standing with the dog in the cold night air waiting for the animal to recollect what he was out there for, my granddaughter was looking up at the sky when she saw something unusual. A bright green light came down through a cloud and apparently fell to earth. It frightened our girl so much she dragged the poor protesting pup back to the house and rushed inside all out of breath to tell us all what she had just seen.

As the dog began his circle dance, the little girl stood there trembling and scared to death saying something about aliens coming to get her. I took her by the hand and together we took the now dizzy doggie outside where he did what he was supposed to do without any further waiting. Looking up at the north western sky, where the little lady was pointing, I suggested that no matter what her big brother had told her about aliens one day coming to get her, what she saw was just a common meteor or meteorite.

I explained that as a meteor enters Earth's atmosphere, contact with the air in front of it slows its descent. ... Air heats as it is compressed and can easily rise to the point that small quantities of copper and nickel compounds burn off. This generates a green gas that is back-lit by the glowing air of the bow shock. I said that the green light disappeared when the meteor burned up in the atmosphere never even hitting the earth.

Right or not, that seemed to satisfy both her and the dog for the time being. Rather pleased with myself I walked back to the house with my granddaughter. The relieved little dog was running happily ahead. Climbing the steps to the back deck and standing at the door, I instantly stopped congratulating myself when little "T" innocently asked me, "But Papa, if that meteor burned up in the atmosphere like you said, how do the aliens get back home?"

Me scared? No Dux, and that was incredibly insensitive of you to suggest. I'll have you know I always lock my door and windows every night and certainly not just last night....