[meteorite-list] Flash Of Light In Sky Seen By Many Across California

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:52 2004
Message-ID: <200309080133.SAA08976_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.modbee.com/local/story/7408172p-8327201c.html

Flash of light in sky seen by many across the state
The Modesto Bee
September 7, 2003

>From their back yard, the Modesto family
saw the sky light up "like a big Roman
candle."

"It was a bright flash, then turned purple. It
had a huge tail," Steve Taylor said of the
Thursday night light show.

The streak went on for 8 or 9 seconds, Taylor
said. "That's a long time for a shooting star."

In fact, it likely came from an asteroid or
space debris, burning up as it hit the Earth's
atmosphere, the North American Aerospace
Defense Command declared after a brief
investigation.

Sometimes the California sky lights up with a
rocket launch from Vandenburg Air Force Base
in Southern California, but the base reported
no launches Thursday night.

Taylor and his wife, Nancy, and son Wade were
in their back yard on Merle Avenue at about
8:30 p.m. when they saw the sky light up.

They were among people from Napa to Palm Springs
who reported the light show, with many describing
bluish white flashes moving west to northwest.
Received on Sun 07 Sep 2003 09:33:52 PM PDT