(meteorobs) Mystery Cloud Identified!

[Skywayinc at aol.com]

    The cloud-like object that was observed on Tuesday evening at around 9:00 
p.m. EDT has now been identified:

    This was a fuel dump of the centaur stage involved in the NRO-1 launch 
from Cape Canaveral earlier in the day. It is the usual practice for all Centaur 
assisted launches. It happens after spacecraft separation of course. It was 
observed and reported by several observers of the Seesat l mailing list; it was 
the fuel bleeding off from a Centaur upper rocket stage on its second orbit 
after launch. Being just after nightfall, the cloud of fuel was still sunlit at 
that altitude.  Those in the eastern half of the country who were 
fortuitously outside when the dump occurred, saw this unusual sight.

-- joe rao