(meteorobs) [meteorite-list] Large bolide as projected VT, Ontario, Montreal 23FEB2011

[Paul Goelz]

At 06:05 PM 2/24/2011, you wrote:
>I ran the AMS reports and uploaded the images and analysis here:
>
>http://www.mikesastrophotos.com/comets/february-23rd-2011-green-fireball/
>
>This was a bit confusing as there are a lot of conflicting reports.
>(at least more than normal).  I'm not super confident on the flight
>path, but the termination point looks to be clear.

Further information.... kinda.....

First of all, I am pretty certain that the time was 5:12 or 5:13.  No 
later.  I did glance at the clock, but since I was driving I couldn't 
write the time down.  But I am pretty sure it was not later than 
5:13.  This is based on memory as well as where I was and when I left 
home (I was driving to the airport).  I am puzzled by the reports of 
a substantially later time.

I was southbound on Interstate 75 in Troy, MI, somewhere between 
exits 75 and 72.   I looked at the map and based on where I think I 
was, I was driving on a heading of  either 108 degrees true or 88 
degrees true.  The fireball was maybe 5-10 degrees to the right of 
dead center, so that makes it either 118 degrees or 98 degrees.  It 
was moving almost exactly downwards with little to no sideways 
motion.  I am pretty sure I saw it as soon as it appeared because I 
was almost looking right at it.  I woul dput the whole event at 2-3 
seconds.  Closer to 3.

This would correlate well with the refined trajectory, right?

But if both my time and other later times are accurate, what is the 
chance there were two fireballs?

Was this perhaps space junk?  It was moving fairly slowly, but then 
it looks like I may have been viewing it end on.

FWIW, this is only the second fireball I have ever seen.  The other 
was when I was a kid, in maybe 1955.  That one was red-ish and large 
enough to see a disk, with a tail and debris.  At least that is how I 
remember it.  It has been a long time.

Paul


Paul Goelz
Rochester Hills, Michigan USA
pgoelz at comcast.net
www.pgoelz.com