[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Fireballs off America On Line bulletin boards
Subj: Re:Large fireball above Oakl
Date: 97-01-08 14:39:32 EST
From: GMKGEORGE
<<Last night @ 10:41pm while driving north on the 880 freeway between Hayward
and Oakland, I saw a HUGE fireball shoot from east to west, about ten degrees
below Casseiopeia.>>
Saw on the news yesterday that the military has now release information that
it has been using senesitive "listening devices" for many years into the
upper atmosphere, and has found that up to a dozen large "boulders" up to 80
feet wide collide with our atmosphere every year. This meteor must be one of
those. You're very lucky to have seen a fireball. The only one I ever saw
was back in 1960, iceskating at night outside.
-----------------
Subj: Re:Large fireball above Oakl
Date: 97-01-08 13:25:36 EST
From: RFlasck
Yep, I saw that fireball too from by backyard in San Ramon. I was surprised
that it didn't leave a visible trail. Most that size do, in my experience.
It didn't seem to have much color either, but it was BRIGHT.
Dick Flasck
--------
Subj: Bright meteor over So. Cal.
Date: 97-01-08 13:58:59 EST
From: ChuckD9506
At 5:31 A.M. on 8 Jan. I saw the brightest meteor that I have observed. The
meteor was approximately 15 degrees north of Leo, headed west and left a
trail 20 degrees long. This meteor was viewed from the light polluted area of
Los Angeles. CS Chuck
-------------
Subj: Fireball in New Jersey!
Date: 97-01-08 18:06:57 EST
From: SamsJag
I'm no astronomy expert, but I have watched a few meteor showers in my
time...BUT what I saw tonight was equal to every 'shooting star' I ever saw
all put together!!!!
Driving home on I-195 East-bound, a light appeared in the sky, slightly to
the North. It grew brighter than any plane flying into Newark. Then it
began to fall to the South. It left a large, white tail. The object itself
burned bright, greenish-white. I could distinguish it's odd, boulder shape.
For a moment I thought it would reach the ground, but it did burn out before
it reached the horizon. The whole event lasted for a good 4-5 seconds. It
was BREATH-TAKING!!!
Still dazed and amazed, Sam
-------------
Subj: A Large fireball above Mich.
Date: 97-01-08 18:24:57 EST
From: FJMARKMAN
This morning, at about 7:08 a.m. EDT, I saw a large fireball in the skies
over Canton, Michigan. The fireball seemed to shoot out from the bowl of the
"Big Dipper" and jetted across the sky, from east to west, for about 35
degrees before it disintegrate into many smaller fragments. The original
fireball's width appeared to be between 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 degrees. When the
fireball broke appart, I could see about a dozen seperate fragments. Each of
these fragments loss it's velocity in the atmosphere and eventually cooled to
where they were not visable. This was unbelievable to see. The entire event
only lasted a couple of seconds.
--------------
Subj: Large fireball above Oakland
Date: 97-01-08 11:13:27 EST
From: PaulSt
Last night @ 10:41pm while driving north on the 880 freeway between Hayward
and Oakland, I saw a HUGE fireball shoot from east to west, about ten degrees
below Casseiopeia. It was declined about fifteen to twenty degrees from the
horizontal (shooting from upper right to lower left in my f.o.v.). It had a
distinct shape, i.e., it was not a pinpoint or a line. The "head" was about
a degree in size, and the fiery "tail" itself even had some thickness to it.
It did not flash across the sky, I was actually able to watch it for
slightly more than a half second. I first saw it about thirty degrees above
my horizon, it disappeared (no flash) about fifteen degrees further west and
about twenty-five degrees above the horizon. It left no trail, which at
first made me think that it was a roman candle, but the striaghtness of its
flight and its angle soon convinced me otherwise. A Quadrantid straggler?
-- Paul S.