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(meteorobs) Fireball Report 3-29-2004 23:59:55: Long Beach, CA, (fwd)


----------------------  Forwarded Message:  ---------------------
From:    NAMN Fireball Reports <namn@atmob.org>
Subject: Fireball Report 3-29-2004 23:59:55: Long Beach, CA, 
Date:    Tue, 30 Mar 2004 04:19:16 -0500 (EST)

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Your Town/State/Country? Long Beach, CA


Date of fireball? 3-29-2004


Time of fireball? 23:59:55


What compass direction did the fireball appear from? south


What compass direction did the fireball DISAPPEAR from? north


How long, in seconds, were you able to see it in the sky? 1.5


How many degrees off the horizon was it when it APPEARED?
(As a reference, a closed fist held at arm's length is
approximately 10 degrees.)
  60


How many degrees off the horizon was it when it DISAPPEARED? 40


How bright did it appear?
Like a star, Venus, the Moon, or the setting Sun?
  brighter than the moon by several factors--brilliant


Did it have any color(s)? blue and green (irridescent)


Did it appear to fall apart as it went by? What did that look like?
  when it burst into a fireball, it scattered in all directions


Did it leave a persistent streak in the sky after it was gone?
How long did that last?

  a streak lasting a few (5 seconds) or so


How fast did it move? Use a 1 to 5 scale, 1 being
VERY slow, and 5 being extremely quick.
  verysteady and fast, order of 3.5


Did you hear a sound?
If yes, what was the time delay from sighting to sound?
  no sound heard, although listened


What is the closest Town/State to where you saw the fireball?
  Long Beach, CA, 


Please put any additional remarks, sketches, drawings, etc. below:
  It was just at midnight on the evening of the 29th, about an hour ago.  I was 
driving my car in a west bound direction down Carson Street at Orange Avenue in 
Long Beach, CA when the inital train caught my eye and looking up I observed the 
object pass from my left at about 60 degrees altitude from the south across the 
eliptic, from south to north, falling further north, appearing to descend 
towards the near neighborhood, when it burst into a brilliant irridescent 
blue-green fireball, with sparkling fragmentation at the time of the burst, in 
all directions.  It was magnificant, the most beautifully colored burst that I 
have ever seen, and seemed to fall quite close, like it could have fallen into 
North Long Beach or Central Los Angeles City proper.  It was seemingly so close 
as to make me open the window of my car and listen for a collision with the 
ground, and to look for any flash on the ground from impact, but there was none, 
nor any sound at the time.  I admit that I let out a hoot of exuberance at the 
moment of the flashing burst. 
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