(meteorobs) fireballs 23 July 2011

[Marco Langbroek]

Carl,

Much of your description fits "Chinese lanterns" - small hot air balloons 
consisting of a bag and a small burner. They are popular with garden parties 
etcetera. Especially the orange colour and the fact that (if I understand you 
correctly) 3 objects appeared in succession shortly after each other, moving 
along a similar trajectory, fits this interpretation.

The fragmentation you describe for the 3rd object is a bit odd though. Maybe the 
burner was shedding material.

There were no satellite decays expected for that date (I checked). There was a 
decay on the 22nd (so a day earlier) but that was a very small object and 
moreover it would not have passed over S-Africa at the time you indicate. There 
were no launches that night either.

I also checked ISS passes (as the ISS is also a bright, slow moving, sometimes 
orange object). It made a pass right at the moment you mention, however very low 
SOUTH of you, not north.

- Marco



Op 10-7-2013 18:12, carel coetzer schreef:
> To all,
>
> On 23 July 2011 i observed 3 fireballs from central Johannesburg,
> South Africa. It occurred at approx 21h45 SAST, 19h45 GMT+2 . I was
> facing in )a Northerly direction. I saw a glow form in the sky low to
> the horizon to the North, at first i thought it was the landing lights
> of an aircraft, but the glow( yellowish with orange /red hue at the
> edges continued in a Southerly direction and then faded fairly
> quickly.The glow formed and lasted about 30-40 secs. A second glow
> formed where the first had appeared and had the same characteristics.
> Thereafter a third glow formed also about 30 secs later,however, this
> object broke up into 5/6 fireballs about 20 secs later each radiating
> outwards and downwards but not upwards. What happened afterwards i
> wont describe here as to not prejudice other observations.
>
> I know this was not a meteor, but would like to know if any members
> heard of any event similar in detail that was observed that evening,at
> that time from anyone in particularly Botswana,South Africa, Zambia,
> Zimbabwe and DRC, as i believe people in those places would have been
> ideally placed to see what i observed if they were outside facing
> roughly North.
>
> I will appreciate any response, as i am trying to verify what i saw
> with other independant observations.
>
> Regards
>
> Carl Coetzer
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