[meteorite-list] Fireball Over Lower Hudson Valley

From: Darryl Pitt <darryl_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:12:43 -0500
Message-ID: <7A3DE06C-249D-44DA-93CE-A465B69DD1FE_at_dof3.com>

I was asked to post this note by Blake Bell, a lovely fellow I had the
pleasure of meeting not so long ago.


Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Bell, Blake A" <bbell at stblaw.com>
> Date: November 21, 2009 6:25:38 PM EST
> To: "Darryl Pitt" <darryl at dof3.com>
> Subject: Fireball Over Lower Hudson Valley - Can you Post to List
> for Me, Please?
>
> Darryl:
>
> I have tried to post to the list a half dozen times in the last six
> months, but my messages never appear. Can you help by forwarding
> this to the list? I hope it may be of help.
>
> At 5:48 p.m. this evening (Sat., Nov. 21, 2009, Eastern Time in the
> U.S.), my son and I witnessed a large fireball over what would
> appear to be the lower Hudson Valley north / northeast of New York
> City. I am unaccustomed to the technical descriptions necessary,
> but will do my best to describe what we saw. I was driving at the
> time, so I cannot say if there was any sound that accompanied what I
> now assume to be a large meteor.
>
> We were about to intersect with the Boston Post Road near Long
> Island Sound in Pelham, NY (10803) and were facing North, slightly
> Northeast. To our right at an estimated 60 to 70 degrees above the
> horizon and moving from right to left (very approximately east to
> west) and declining (I am guessing) at about 30 degrees from level
> was a beautiful and large fireball. I would estimate it at very
> roughly about 1/20th the size of the moon. There clearly was a
> circular, yellow-orange center trailed by what can only be described
> as plumes of flame -- mostly yellow with tinges of orange. It was
> not "sparkling" and we did not see anything break away from the main
> mass during the time we witnessed the event. The circular mass of
> light (trailed by plumes) continued across the horizon before
> disappearing behind trees, always trailed by a fiery tail that did
> not seem to extend at any time more than two or three times the size
> of the radius of the central mass. The fiery tail remained "very
> close" to the central mass while we observed the event.
>
> Although I have seen many meteors, I have only seen one other event
> like this (during the 1970s in Charlottesville, Virginia). This was
> even more substantial than what I saw then. I hope that this
> results in other reports. It certainly was thrilling for my son and
> I to observe.
>
> Best regards and hope all is well!
>
> Blake
>
> ____________________________
>
> Blake Bell
> Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
> 425 Lexington Avenue
> New York, New York 10017
>
> Tel: (212) 455-2935
> Fax: (212) 455-2502
> bbell at stblaw.com
> ____________________________
Received on Sat 21 Nov 2009 07:12:43 PM PST