(meteorobs) Beautiful fireball - space junk?

[mexicodoug at aol.com]

Hola Marco and meteor observers, from Fort Davis, Texas, USA - the 
Texas Star Party 2006.

On the 2006.04.25.16 UT here, in the low northeast sector of the sky, 
starting in Virgo and ending in Hercules, a northerly trajectory 
glowing intense malachite green and at the end of its incandescent path 
broke up into at least 3 fragments.  The travel was about 5 degrees 
downward from horzontal.  No sound heard except the big ooohhhs and 
ahhhs that rippled acrosse the observing fields.  Magnitude was at 
least as bright as -6.  During the 3 second approx. incandescent 
display it traveled about forty degrees which appeared to be a moderate 
speed.  I was looking at the comet 73P in that general direction and 
the binoculars lit up like headlights shining into them at an angle, a 
constellation or two away.  Others mentioned that shadows were cast 
during the awesome event...

30 Degrees N. 36.552'
103 Degrees W. 57.031'
aprox. 1535 meters elevation

Was this space junk?

Saludos, Doug

 -----Original Message-----
 From: Marco Langbroek <marco.langbroek at wanadoo.nl>
  To: Global Meteor Observing Forum <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>; 
metrec at yahoogroups.com; javor.kac at orion-drustvo.si
 Sent: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:37:43 +0200
 Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Strange event

 Interesting! No satellite matches! 
  
  Only 3 satellites/satellite fragments come within 3 degrees of the 
reported positions within 2 minutes of the reported times (IRIDIUM 69, 
COSMOS 886 DEB, ASTEX 1): but none of these was moving in the correct 
direction (all were moving almost perpendicular to the observed 
direction) so they can be 100% excluded. 
  
 The search was for all catalogued orbits plus classifieds orbs. 
  
 An option could perhaps be aircraft (?). 
  
 - Marco 
  

 ----- 
 Dr Marco Langbroek 
 Dutch Meteor Society (DMS) 
  
 e-mail: meteorites at dmsweb.org 
 private website http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek 
 DMS website http://www.dmsweb.org 
 ----- 
  
 Javor Kac wrote: 
 > Pavel, Marco and ykchia, 
 > > thanks for your replies. 
 > > > On 27 Apr 06, at 15:31, Marco Langbroek wrote: 
 > >> Can you please provide a better clue as to the positions of these 
 >> objects (sky coordinates)? It is very easy for me to identify 
 >> satellites, but only if I have good timings (which you provided) 
 >> and positions (which are yet unclear). 
  > The starting coordinates were RA= 11.273 hours and Decl= 3.724 > 
degs (at 19:05:12.64 UT) and ending RA= 11.809 hours and Decl= > 6.672 
degs (at 19:05:17:68) for one of the trails. 
  > RA= 11.237 h, Decl= 4.256 deg (19:05:19.92 UT) to RA= 11.668, > 
Decl= 6.616 degs (19:05:23:92 UT) for the second trail. 
 > > Times could be a few seconds off, by the way. 
 > > Clear skies! 
 > Javor 
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 --  
 ----- 
 Dr Marco Langbroek 
 Dutch Meteor Society (DMS) 
  
 e-mail: meteorites at dmsweb.org 
 private website http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek 
 DMS website http://www.dmsweb.org 
 ----- 
 --- 
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