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(meteorobs) TX/NM Fireball
>From: Hormesis2@aol.com
>Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 12:08:49 -0400 (EDT)
>Subject: Re: (meteorobs) TX/NM Bolide
>
>Now that was one big sonic boom.
>
>Thanks again for sending us the data.
>
>Lloyd
Lloyd,
Thought you might enjoy this account I got via the AMS electronic fireball
form of the TX/NM event. Some things in this account I haven't seen
elsewhere, the sound effect (I asked, and the observer was adamant that it
was only 5-6 seconds after seeing the fireball). Also the duration of the
smoke trail is given as two hours, quite lengthy! I like the "stealth"
F-14's though!
Begin quote:
Jim, thanks for the reply. I have been on vacation traveling throughout
New Mexico and have just now sat down to recount the event. In reading
over the form results I have come across a few discrepancies of my own.
In comparing the report with my itinerary notes that day. I witnessed
the event. on Thursday October 9 in the afternoon around 12:45 or 1:00
pm as I was driving with a friend toward Las Cruces, NM. We were just
south of Socorro on IH-25 (Elephant Butte was directly to the left of
us) when I happened to lean over and see the green fireball. It was
not directly overhead but I did see it out of the top left side of the
windsheild and it streaked down and to the left. As it got closer to
the ground it broke apart in several glowing pieces before fading. It
left a smoke trail that lasted well over 2 hours. We traveled from that
point outside Socorro all the way to White Sands when it finally seemed
to dissapate. The smoke trail seemed greenish-gray in color and very
thick at first. Later as it faded, it appeared more like an odd shaped
cloud. From our view point there were no clouds in the vicinity of the
smoke trail at that time. I cant tell you how many times since that day
I have regretted not taking a picture of that smoke cloud- it seemed so
close to us. Everything happened so fast but it seemed like slow motion
in a way. The sound effect happened several seconds after the fireball,
like maybe 5 or 6 seconds. I remember saying to my traveling partner,
"hey, look a meteor, a shooting star!" , immediately after seeing it,
then in the silence before her reply, I heard the sound effect. It was a
very low toned fog horn type sound that seemed to linger for an instant
then fade just like the meteor. That sound really gave me the chills,
it was like nothing I've ever heard before. We turned east in Las
Cruces now driving toward White Sands-as we approached the White Sands
Missile Range-we were quick to note the amount of activity within the
area. We saw the observatories that peppered the missle range were open
toward the area we saw the fireball - people were also standing out on
the decks, I would think not a common occurrence during broad daylight -
and what seemed like a several of the stealth aircraft including a
couple F-14's and a helicopter circling the entire area as well as south
of our location.
Hope this helps I would really like to know if you have found anything.
Thanks.
End Quote.
I wish I'd been there!
Jim B.
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