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Re: (meteorobs) FIREBALL OVER MAUI?





WOW! I just step outside to check the sky conditions for observing
tonite, and at about 10:33pm HST, everything was lit up with a bright
electric blue flash! The sky was 90% overcast, and the light was
significantly brighter than the full moon would be behind the clouds,
because it actually cast shadows through the cloud layer. I would
estimate the flash lasted about 4 seconds, and it "flickered" in
brightness. If this was a meteor, it must have been between the moon and
sun in brightness, maybe mag -16? (!) I waited several minutes in case
of a sonic boom, but nothing was heard. I was facing SW at the moment,
and the light initially came from behind me. I turned around to catch
the last second of it, and it seemed it be concentrated in an area about
30° altitude, 80° azimuth, from my house in Haiku. Assuming it was a
meteor, around 60km elevation, that would put it about 100km ENE of
central Maui, or 100km due north of Hilo, HI at 21°N 155°W.


Were the remaining 10% of the sky clear? Perhaps, looking at the effects
on the stars there, you could guestimate the magnitude?

Clear skies!

Jure A.
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