(meteorobs) Fw: [RASCals] Waterdown, Ontario

[C.L. Hall]

Fwd from RASC list...
 
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: Ken Lemke <klemke at worldchat.com>
 To: RASCals Discussion List <rascals at lists.rasc.ca>
 Cc: <asmith at ionsys.com>
 Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 12:35 AM
 Subject: Re: [RASCals] meteors?
 
 Three members of the Hamilton Centre observed the event from the Centre's
Observatory and the observing report we immediately prepared is as
follows

Observers: Ken Lemke, Bert Rhebergen, Sandy Smith
Place: RASC Hamilton Centre Observatory, 43 degrees, 23 min, 26 sec N, 79
degrees, 55 min, 22 sec W. Site is north of Waterdown, Ontario
Date and time: June 26, 2004, 10.50 PM EDT

Sandy first spotted the the object when it was just to the right (west) of
the Moon. Initially we noted three parallel trails which passed (tracking
SEE) below the Moon and above Spica. The central trail was the brightess
and
continually increased in brightness. The objects passed through Libra
(between alpha and beta) and as the trails approached the top of Scorpius,
two additional trails (total of five now) could be seen. By now a large
bright fireball could be seen at the head of the Central trail. We lost
sight of the trails (due to trees) when they were just east (left) of
Antares. At this point the fireball was a bright yellowish-red which we
estimated at minus 4 magnitude.

We estimate the length of the trails at 5 - 7 degrees, and the tails are
best described at broken/chunky trails.

We estimate 15 seconds passed from the time Sandy initially spotted the
object(s) to time they disappeared behind the trees.

No sound was heard.

Whatever the object was it was quite spectacular. Hope our report helps
someone to figure out what it was.

Cheers

Ken Lemke
RASC Hamilton Centre