(meteorobs) daytime fireball, near Graham NC

[Steven Kolins]

On Jan 4, 2008, at 8:49 PM, Chris Peterson wrote:

> Some basic problems:
>
> -If a witness saw a fireball 15° above the horizon, it was almost
> certainly more than 100 miles away.

I agree - I think the second observer was really looking at a contrail  
lit by the sun - it was near dawn.

However I think that such a distance makes the flash even more  
spectacular. I honestly thought that since I wouldn't be able to put  
this up until the following night I'd be a crowd of "me too"  
sightings. I'm honestly very surprised I'm the only report - though  
mine is pure chance. I was on the road on the way to work and happened  
to be looking almost straight at it when it happened.

I had a chance to gander back at the crescent moon and it was dim  
compared to the flash - the meteor trace through the sky was about the  
brightness of the moon.

>
> Try to work out the radiant. Could this have been a Quadrantid? I
> recorded several bright fireballs in the dawn sky that were part of  
> this
> shower. If your own measurements are accurate, this meteor was most
> likely over Virginia, probably north of Lynchburg.

It was probably east of Lynchburg, near/over Charlottesville or beyond?

Could it have been a Quadrantid? Running Stellarium back to the time  
and turning off the atmosphere I'd say it's likely.

I had wondered about space debris....

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Steven Kolins
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