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(meteorobs) Fwd: Fireball? Columbia MO USA, 31 Oct/01 Oct
Yes, Elizabeth, your report can be of value! While all the details are
fresh in memory, please fill out the following "fireball report form":
http://www.namnmeteors.org/fireball/report.html
It is possible what you saw was an artificial satellite ("space junk")
reentering Earth's atmosphere, or possibly even the reflection of sun
light off a particular kind of satellite in orbit, called an "Iridium".
But you may also have seen a true celestial "fireball", in which case
your report may prove quite useful in research of these lovely events.
NOTE: Elizabeth is not a 'meteorobs' reader. If you follow up, please
MANUALLY place 'lizofearth@home.com' in the "Cc:" line of your reply.
Lew Gramer <owner-meteorobs@atmob.org>
------- Forwarded Message
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 03:15:41 -0600
Subject: fireball? sighting Missouri 10/31-11/1
From: Elizabeth B Thomas <lizofearth@home.com>
To: meteorobs@atmob.org
Hello! This is my first time at this website; I've been looking for
information on something I saw tonight (Halloween night) at about 8:45 PM
central time -- I'm wondering if anyone else saw it and/or knows what it
was:
My friend and I were sitting outside in the dark in Columbia, Missouri
facing west when I saw a large bright object descending at about a 45 degree
angle from the south/our left (my friend saw it before I did, very high up
- -- she said she thought it was a plane at first but it kept getting brighter
and bigger as it fell). The best I can recall it was a bright white round or
oval object with a wide tail about two or three times its length that
changed colors -- we remembered blue and red, and then we think yellow --
before it disappeared about tree level directly in front of us. (Given all
the scares lately we both waited for a "boom" but there wasn't any sound at
all :)).
It moved pretty slowly compared to "falling stars" I've seen; I saw it long
enough for me to point and say "Look at that" and for the two of us to watch
it for a few moments after that; and again, my friend saw it at least a few
seconds earlier than I did. I don't quite know how to describe how big it
appeared but it was many times bigger than a star, maybe about the size of
the bulb of a streetlight looking up from 2-3 car lengths away.
I'd love to know if anyone else saw this object or can help me find out
about it...also, is this something I should report (and would my layman's
description be of any value?). Any responses would be appreciated,
especially if you could also send them to me at my e-mail address below,
since I'm not on the meteorobs list.
Many thanks!
Liz Thomas Horn
lizofearth@home.com
------- End of Forwarded Message
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