Fireball falling from the sky

[Pepper]

At 8:15 this evening while driving home from work I saw the most amazing thing. I was driving down Gilford Avenue, admiring one very bright star slightly off to my right. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, and shifted my eyes to the left where there was a huge fireball falling out of the sky. Now I've spent countless hundreds of hours watching the night sky, and I've seen literally thousands of meteor showers. I've also seen fireballs race across the sky, but never have I seen one fall out of the sky. The closest thing I could think of to describe it would be perhaps a single ember of a firework as it fell from it's zenith, only this was very large. It also left a sort of smoke-trail behind itself, also very similar to the way a firework would leave one. That trail lasted a good sixty seconds or so before it finally dissipated.

I had pulled over and scanned the sky to see if there was some visible source, but there was nothing.

So, anybody have any ideas on what I saw?

Oh, and did I mention, it was very, very cool?

[trfour]

And UFO's are very common here in NH. Calm down and lets figure this thing out... ...
Top Ten List...

1. Pepper, did you have you're camera with?

2. Fireworks on a Tuesday?

3. Have you listened to Jerry Lee Lewis Lately?

4. I miss you very much.

5. Let us keep this list going, get my drift?

from Dallas/Fort Worth Texas.

Terry
________________________________

[Steveo]

I grew up in northern New Jersey. One early dusk my father was driving us kids home and we saw almost exactly what you described - big fireball, trailing fire stream and smoke stream afterward. It seemed so big and looked very low in the sky. We (Dad included) thought it must have hit very close to where we were so we started following the smoke stream to find it. Except no matter how far we traveled the smoke stream never got any lower and eventually dissipated. We found out the next day that it was a meteorite that had landed about 250 miles north in upstate NY.

[Pineedles]

And if it was a meteorite, and you can figure out where it may have landed, you could net yourself some big $$$. A fist size one could go for $5-10 K.

[SIKSUKR]

Did you stop and have a couple beverages after work Pepper?I'm going to keep my eyes open for other reports on your sighting and report back here if I read of any.

[Mr. V]

Originally Posted by Pepper

So, anybody have any ideas on what I saw?

Some questions are better left unasked ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Bif...eature=related

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Pepper

At 8:15 this evening while driving home from work I saw the most amazing thing. I was driving down Gilford Avenue, admiring one very bright star slightly off to my right. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, and shifted my eyes to the left where there was a huge fireball falling out of the sky. Now I've spent countless hundreds of hours watching the night sky, and I've seen literally thousands of meteor showers. I've also seen fireballs race across the sky, but never have I seen one fall out of the sky. The closest thing I could think of to describe it would be perhaps a single ember of a firework as it fell from it's zenith, only this was very large. It also left a sort of smoke-trail behind itself, also very similar to the way a firework would leave one. That trail lasted a good sixty seconds or so before it finally dissipated.

I had pulled over and scanned the sky to see if there was some visible source, but there was nothing.

So, anybody have any ideas on what I saw?

Oh, and did I mention, it was very, very cool?

How long did it take to fall ? You say it didn't appear to be a meteor, in this case a fireball, why not ? What was different ? Too slow ? Might it have been a parachute flare or some form of fireworks ?

If you think it might have been a fireball, you might check the Amateur Meteor Society and see if anyone else reported the fireball.

http://www.amsmeteors.org/

[gtxrider]

Originally Posted by Steveo

I grew up in northern New Jersey. One early dusk my father was driving us kids home and we saw almost exactly what you described - big fireball, trailing fire stream and smoke stream afterward. It seemed so big and looked very low in the sky. We (Dad included) thought it must have hit very close to where we were so we started following the smoke stream to find it. Except no matter how far we traveled the smoke stream never got any lower and eventually dissipated. We found out the next day that it was a meteorite that had landed about 250 miles north in upstate NY.

Steveo, we were standing in my friends driveway and saw what may have been the same fire ball back in the 60's. We to were in New Jersey.


Pepper were you listening to Jerry Lee Lewis "Great Balls of Fire"?

[Steveo]

Originally Posted by gtxrider

Steveo, we were standing in my friends driveway and saw what may have been the same fire ball back in the 60's. We to were in New Jersey.

Jup, in the 60's. It was a pretty big deal at the time. Many saw it, made the news.

[gravy boat]

Hi Pepper,

I've seen a few over the last several years -- one on my way home from work heading north on 93 in Hooksett. Out of the northwest it came...huge trail behind it. While it seemed like it was close, I read online the next day that it landed in northern Canada somewhere. I also saw one -- again while commute home, heading north -- that was visible due north.

Many years ago -- probably early 80s or thereabouts -- I was on the boathouse and saw a huge greenish fireball fall, seeming to land on the other side of Rattlesnake. It was one of the most magnificent things I've ever seen. But that was also probably hundreds of miles away. But what a show!

I just checked online and couldn't find anything specific, but did find this link. If you scroll down a bit, it shows the recent meteorites...it is updated to April 9, so in a few days it may list what you saw. ;-)

http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspo...ew-hunter.html

GB

[GTO]

Originally Posted by gravy boat

Hi Pepper,

I've seen a few over the last several years -- one on my way home from work heading north on 93 in Hooksett. Out of the northwest it came...huge trail behind it. While it seemed like it was close, I read online the next day that it landed in northern Canada somewhere. I also saw one -- again while commute home, heading north -- that was visible due north.

Many years ago -- probably early 80s or thereabouts -- I was on the boathouse and saw a huge greenish fireball fall, seeming to land on the other side of Rattlesnake. It was one of the most magnificent things I've ever seen. But that was also probably hundreds of miles away. But what a show!

I just checked online and couldn't find anything specific, but did find this link. If you scroll down a bit, it shows the recent meteorites...it is updated to April 9, so in a few days it may list what you saw. ;-)

http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspo...ew-hunter.html

GB

I wasn't going to write until I saw your writing the "green" fireball. I figured people would think I was crazy (well, that's beside the point). about 2 years ago I was driving in Nashua in the summer around dusk. All of a sudden, in the clear skies ahead, a green fireball, very bright with a very long tail, streaked across the sky. It lasted for the longest time. Probably one of the coolest things I had ever seen. I remember trying to tell people about it but it was hard to describe...almost unbelievable. I think I remember reading something about it in the paper a couple of days later about a meteor landing in someones backyard in or around Concord or Manchester. When I say meteor, I mean it was the size of a small rock by the time it made its way to earth.

[Pepper]

Gravy Boat ~ I was heading due west when I saw this, and it was slightly to my left, or roughly west southwest. Whatever it was it was far away. I just bookmarked the link you provided, and I'll keep checking to see if anything shows up. Thanks!

Mac - although it was a bit slower than the meteorites I'm accustomed to seeing race across the sky, it definitely was still too fast to be anything attached to a parachute. It was also different because it left that smoke trail behind it, but I suppose that could simply be a result of being close enough to the earth to actually be visible.

SS - you didn't call and invite me, so I didn't stop and have any beverages after work!

Oh and one more thing for Gravy ... a huge greenish fireball seen from atop the boathouse in the early 80's huh? Are you sure it wasn't Fred performing some pyrotechnic extravaganza???

[garysanfran]

Today, I was listening to a radio call-in show with an astronomy professor at a local college. This was in San Francisco. A caller said he also saw a fireball the same evening (on the West coast). He didn't say what time he saw it. And being 3 hrs. in your past. Who knows?

[Pepper]

Wow Gary, that's pretty awesome! It's kind of amazing to think that perhaps people on both coasts might possibly have seen the same thing in the sky.

[trfour]

There's tons and tons of it up there, too much to keep track of...?? Someone said once that what goes up, must come down.

After this here, I'm gett'in air conditioning installed in my snowmobile helmet so's I can wear it out in the hot sun here in Texas.

I did a Google search and also could not find an celestial event that could have shed any light to this query.
My hope is that among us we can figure this thing out.



Terry
__________________________

[luckypete]

check out spaceweather.com and read the article about the "Wisconsin Fireball"

[angela4design]

Video of midwest fireball: CNN.com (no audio) and Spaceweather article.

When I lived in Seattle, I saw one of these, which lit up the sky like daylight, it was CRAZY. They announced that it was a meteor, but I'm still not sure. Link to video of that incident. I'll never forget it.

[NoBozo]

In case there are some here who have wondered, but were afraid to ask. NB


http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=218186

[Janet]

Just saw on the Today show a story about a fireball in the sky over Iowa. It was recorded on a police dashcam. The story said it was a meteor and could be seen in 4 other states.

[nvtngtxpyr]

Here's the CNN story and video.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/15/midwest.fireball/

[gravy boat]

Oh and one more thing for Gravy ... a huge greenish fireball seen from atop the boathouse in the early 80's huh? Are you sure it wasn't Fred performing some pyrotechnic extravaganza???

You know, that IS something one could easily associate with a Croes. Hmmmm...

[ClosetExtrovert]

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/articl...sin%2F19441105

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Pepper

Wow Gary, that's pretty awesome! It's kind of amazing to think that perhaps people on both coasts might possibly have seen the same thing in the sky.

There was a huge fireball seen across the midwest last night. But perhaps it's a cousin of the one you saw. Perhaps there's more to come ! Perhaps it's a sign that some humongous asteroid is coming to strike the Earth !! Where's Bruce Willis when you need him ....

[ApS]

Two videos:

http://hotairpundit.blogspot.com/201...ed-across.html

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by Pepper

Wow Gary, that's pretty awesome! It's kind of amazing to think that perhaps people on both coasts might possibly have seen the same thing in the sky.

Nostalgic observation Pepper:

Frequently, during full moons, I would call my late father and ask him to look out the window at the full moon. I would then tell him we were looking at the same object at the same time, in real time, and no television.

He on the East coast. Me on the West. The moon? Well, it was in the middle, but 240,000 miles away, but it brought us a bit closer.

[mets3007]

The fireball story was on the news here in Ny on WABC ch7 and it was seen in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and 4 other states.

[Lucy Goose]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

Today, I was listening to a radio call-in show with an astronomy professor at a local college. This was in San Francisco. A caller said he also saw a fireball the same evening (on the West coast). He didn't say what time he saw it. And being 3 hrs. in your past. Who knows?

On the weather channel the following morning they had videos of some that someone took in the midwest. They said there has been a lot of them recently.

[Pepper]

I've been having a lot of fun researching, and have discovered that fireballs are fairly common. I did locate this site: http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/fireball_log2010.htm thanks to mee-n-mac. I recorded my sighting there. I just checked back, and there were four others who recorded the same sighting, so at least I know I'm not crazy ... well at least I don't think I am ...

Also, the moderator of the site GravyBoat linked to apparently found my original post here, and published a portion of it, with a request for clarification! I did post a comment there to clarify as well. One other person has posted a follow-up indicating that they also saw the same fireball while driving north from the Manchester airport. There was also a second person who posted, but they were actually reporting a sighting of the fireball the following evening which was seen in the Wisconsin/Iowa area. That fireball was far more dramatic!

As a result of my sighting, and subsequent research, I've now added a whole new dimension to my night-sky watching!

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by Pepper

I just checked back, and there were four others who recorded the same sighting, so at least I know I'm not crazy

So, you have validation that you and others saw the same fire ball. And you conclude you are not crazy. These are connected how?

[NoBozo]

Ok: I am Certainly not one to raise an alarm but there seems to be a lot of STUFF going on Worldwide that needs to be considered. Earthquakes in Haiti, Peru, China, Callyfornia, Coal mine disasters in W. Virginia, Tsunamis somewhere else.... and now Volcanos in Iceland that are shutting down Western Europe.....not to mention UFO Sightings over Rattlesnake. Should we be concerned..?? Prollly not.

"Bama Done Told Me There Would Be Days Like This". ..remember that song from the 60s..? NB

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

Ok: I am Certainly not one to raise an alarm but there seems to be a lot of STUFF going on Worldwide that needs to be considered. Earthquakes in Haiti, Peru, China, Callyfornia, Coal mine disasters in W. Virginia, Tsunamis somewhere else.... and now Volcanos in Iceland that are shutting down Western Europe.....not to mention UFO Sightings over Rattlesnake. Should we be concerned..?? Prollly not.

"Bama Done Told Me There Would Be Days Like This". ..remember that song from the 60s..? NB

...and Lions, and Tigers, and Bears.... Oh, MY!

Release the flying monkeys - this all isn't because of GW!

[mg2107]

December 21,2012 is closer every day !

[skprbob]

As luck would have it, I saw the event also from home in Tuftonboro - really spectacular! For those with an astronomical interest, such things tend to occur most often in February and April. Those in April are mostly associated with the Lyrid meteor shower which peaks around the 22nd. The term "fireball" does have a formal definition - an especially bright meteor of magnitude -3 or brighter with a long-lasting trail. For comparison, the star Sirius is -1.5, the full moon is -12.7. An especially bright fireball (magnitude -9 or brighter) is called a "bolide". These are also capable of producing sonic booms as they slow down and burn up in the atmosphere and can be heard over a very wide area.

Like most meteor showers, the Lyrids are best observed in the hours before dawn, after the moon sets, but the bright ones can be seen at most any time. Keep looking up.