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Re: (meteorobs) Possible fireball in California
Saturday October 5, 1996
Here is a little information taken from newspaper reports here in New
Mexico on the spectacular fireball that occurred approximately 0200-0215 UT
Oct 4, 1996.
Briefly, the Thursday evening fireball seen from California to Mexico has
made quite an impression on the witnesses who saw it. There is some video
footage of it taken as it passed over El Paso, Texas by someone who was
videotaping a high school football game. I saw the fireball video on a
local news station and it looked glorious. Many reported it as a "plane
going down and on fire." Many people reported it as predominantly green but
I have also seen reports of it being red and yellow. It fragmented into
seven or eight pieces over New Mexico. El Paso, Texas is at the border of
Mexico and the US. I haven't heard anything from south of the border.
NORAD said it probably was *not* space debris and airport radars didn't
pick it up.
Local witnesses (including flight controllers) have given misinformation to
the newspapers concerning times and directions. I haven't seen much
information from astronomically minded folks as yet though I heard second
hand that there is a report or two in USENET-sci.astro.amateur that give
the magnitude as -6 or so. I think the magnitude may have been much
greater from seeing the video clip on television. But I don't know for
sure.
If I hear more I will alert the meteorobs list.
Tom Ashcraft
New Mexico