(meteorobs) Purple Sporadic Fireball

To: Meteorobs <meteorobs@jovian.com>, Mark Davis <MeteorObs@charlestondot net>
Subject: (meteorobs) Purple Sporadic Fireball
From: "Kim S. Youmans" <ksyo@pinelanddot net>
Date: Tue, 04 May 1999 19:22:28 -0400
Organization: Household
Reply-To: meteorobs@jovian.com
Sender: owner-meteorobs@jovian.com

Last night my friend John and I went out for a couple hours pre-moon
late evening obs.  Of course, I was up stretching, looking
down, when the purple sporadic fireball soared overhead (right across my
center field of view!!!)(see remarks)...
OBSERVER: Kim Youmans
DATE:  05-03/04-99   BEGIN: 01:34 UT  END: 03:28  UT
LOCATION: 82.24'45"  32.24'25"  Treutlen Co, Georgia, USA
El. 240 ft

1 period: 01:34-03:28   Sky 0% obstructed.  Facing SE LM = 6.14  (IMO
Region 9)
Teff = 1.83
 1:34 Field center 11h25m  +06
 2:25 Field center 12h40m  +11
 3:28 Field center 13h3m    +11

Dead time= (4 min)   0 breaks

 #  TIME(UT)  SHOWER  MAG   SPEED  (1-5)  COLOR  TRAIN(SEC)
Period 1
1  02:36   SPO  +3,  3
2  02:48   SPO  +4,  2
3  02:48   SPO  +3,  4
4  03:11   SPO  +5,  5
5  03:24   SPO  +4,  2

 MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTIONS:
SPO   +3(2)  +4(2)  +5(1)  Total 5

  REMARKS:    At  02:32 UT  I observed the bluish-green flash on the
grass, and on Johnny’s face and lawn chair, of the -4 to -6
fireball that Johnny (alas, not I) got to see.  It moved from Beta Leo
on a line 2/3 way to Alpha Canis Major.  Johnny described it
as the most vivid purple he’d ever seen.  Venus was still in the sky and
nearby to check magnitude by.  He described a trail that
moved with the meteor, a 1 second train, and the diameter of the meteor
about “four times wider than a typical meteor.”
     I was struck by the fact that, while I did not get to see the
meteor, I saw strong
indications of its arrival in the sky on the ground, grass, and my
observing partner and his lawn chair.  As the meteor moved
overhead, I definately could see very vague but definate shadows form
beneath Johnny’s lawn chair and behind his head, while all
the surfaces in view where tinged a pale blue-green.  Fireball report
sent in to IMO.


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