(meteorobs) OT...Commodore Perry and the 'meteor' (or UFO)

[Bias, Peter V]

Hi Arlene and all,

Commodore Perry's personal description appears to me to be consistent
with a brilliant fireball. The only odd part is that it is 15 degrees
above the horizon. Usually fireballs are not quite as impressive that
low in the sky (just an arm-length's upturned fist and a half off the
horizon). Still, the straight trajectory and gradual drift to the
horizon, along with the sparks coming from the wedged-shaped tail match
very well with a meteor. Remember, brilliant fireballs don't look a lot
like a regular "falling star"!

Pete Bias
Lakeland Florida USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org [mailto:meteorobs-
> bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Arlene Carol
> Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 2:00 PM
> To: meteorobs
> Subject: (meteorobs) OT...Commodore Perry and the 'meteor' (or UFO)
> 
> We get reruns of many US tv programs here. I was listening to a
History
> Channel production and heard a report about Commodore Perry's sighting
of
> a
> very strange object that he called a 'meteor'. well, it sure doesn't
sound
> like a meteor even to me!! I can't imagine what they saw. Could it
have
> been
> 'ball lightening' ? St. Elmo's fire?
> I have never seen that either but surely a Naval Commander would have
seen
> it before, right? want to venture a guess what it was? I do remember
that
> strange lights were reported in the sea just before the Big Earthquake
> here
> in 1999. Maybe it was something like that...I have no idea.
> 
> did a quick search at Google and found this. If anyone has the actual
log
> or
> journal of Commodore Perry, I guess that would be even more
interesting to
> read... the url of this info is:
> http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/ry_litho_main.shtml
> 
> Perry and the "UFO." A History Channel program on Unidentified Flying
> Objects and the "Pacific Triangle" (aired December 3, 2006 and
earlier)
> implied that while anchored in Uraga Bay on July 9, 1853, a UFO was
seen
> by
> members of the squadron. While certainly not characterizing it as a
UFO
> sighting, Roger Pineau in his book *The Japan Expedition 1852-1854,
The
> Personal Journal of Commodore Matthew C. Perry*, presents a
description of
> the incident as it was reported in Commodore Perry's journal. On the
first
> visit to Japan, the American squadron anchored in Edo Bay off the city
of
> Uraga on July 8. In his journal Perry recounted a report by Lieutenant
> Duer,
> the watch commander, in these terms:
> 
> In the later part of the night of Friday, the day of our casting
anchor
> upon
> the coast of Japan, a most remarkable meteor was seen by Lieutenant
Duer
> in
> command of the watch, who describes it as follows:
> 
> During the watch from midnight to 4 A.M. a very remarkable meteor was
> seen.
> It made its appearance in the south and west and illuminated the whole
> atmosphere. The spars, sails and hulls of the ships in company as well
as
> our own reflected its glare as distinctly as though a blue light were
> burning from each at the same time. From the south and west about 15
> degrees
> above the horizon it pursued a north-easterly course in a direct line
for
> a
> long distance, when it fell gradually toward the sea and disappeared.
Its
> shape was that of a large blue sphere with a red wedge-shaped tail,
which
> it
> could be easily observed was formed of ignited particles, and
resembled
> the
> sparks of a rocket as they appear upon its explosion. (Perry's
Personal
>
Journal<http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/ry_litho_narrative.shtml#perso
na
> l_journal>at
> page 91)
> 
>  In Volume 1 of the Government narrative an identical account of this
> "interesting meteorological phenomenon" is related at page 236.
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