[meteorite-list] Fwd: Las Vegas fireball sighting - 2005Jan04

From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Jan 7 21:36:04 2005
Message-ID: <20050108023602.27145.qmail_at_web51707.mail.yahoo.com>

------------ Forward Message ------------
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:27:10 -0800
From: skywise <skywise_at_dslextreme.com>
To: Global Meteor Observing Forum
<meteorobs_at_meteorobs.org>

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Las Vegas fireball sighting

I too am new to the group, having been advised of it
after seeing a fireball on the 4th of Jan as well,
from LA.
So apologies if I'm not following proper form.

Here's a copy of my post to a satellite observing
group:

    Time: 17:43 Jan 4, 2005 (0143 UTC Jan 5)

    Location: LA Area, Stanton CA
    -118.00 33.80

    Travelling due east from zenith. Was seen out a
window so only saw ending. I saw only bright white,
but mother, who called my attention to it, saw green
as well. Terminated about 30 degrees altitude.

    It appeared as bright as airplane landing lights
seen head on from about 10 miles away. (I have seen
planes turning to land at John Wayne airport from
about that distance)

   This was not man made, was travelling way too fast.

Comparing the description to what Jennifer just
described, I think we saw the same event.

I had also heard there was meteorite fall in
Wisconsin, but I doubt this was the same event. The
great circle route to Wisconsin from my location is
about 45 azimuth whereas my sighting was at
90 degrees and headed the same.

Brian

-- 
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology,
Astronomy
---------- Original Message ----------
jennifersherer wrote:
> I'm new to this group and new to reporting a 
> sighting, so I apologize in advance for lack of 
> detail that one probably reports for a sighting. 
> I was just glad to find a place to report the 
> sighting!
> 
> Here's what I can relay:
> - location: Las Vegas, NV
> - time: Tuesday, Jan 4th at around 5:45pm PDT
> - seen while driving & position details are sketchy
>   (I was merging onto the freeway).
> - came almost straight down (slight angle from my 
>   top left to bottom right. I was facing south and 
>   beginning to turn west at the time).
> - it moving relatively slowly... compared to 
>   shooting stars I've seen. 
> - was still burning when I lost sight of it behind 
>   low level buildings and the freeway I was merging 
>   onto.
> - I called our local non-emergency line but no one 
>   else had called in about it at the time.
> - it was very bright and had a long tail... it was 
>   a burning orange with a green cast... I don't 
>   recall the destinct colors of the tail vs the 
>   body, unfortunately
> 
> I checked local news sources etc. and haven't found 
> any mention of it. It was breathtaking.
> 
> This was different than any meteor shower I've 
> seen. I've only seen one other thing like this 
> (fireball) and that was many years ago [10?] in 
> the San Francisco Bay Area. I remember it looking 
> just like this one.
> 
> Cheers!
> Jennifer
> 
------------- Reply Message ------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 15:51:41 -0800
From: "Robert Lunsford" <lunro.imo.usa_at_cox.net>
To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum"
<meteorobs_at_meteorobs.org>
Subject: (meteorobs) Re: Las Vegas fireball sighting
This particular fireball was also seen in Southern
California. You can see Jennifer's entry and the other
three witnesses in the AMS 2005 Fireball 
table located at: 
http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/fireball_log.html
Clear Skies!
Robert Lunsford
------------- End of Forward Message --------------

Received on Fri 07 Jan 2005 09:36:02 PM PST