Let me describe the entire event. I was getting out of my car for a brief break on Hwy 395. I was heading north and as soon as I got out of the car I could see to the south these objects burning in the sky. I've seen plenty of meteors at a similar angle so I got a feeling this was space junk. It was a very dark sky without any moon. I immediately stopped and looked at some of the pieces tumble for 3 seconds or so before I reached back into my car for my phone so I could take a picture. It took just a bit of time before the ap opened and when I did there was not enough light to take a good picture. The objects had now just passed me heading north, parallel with the mountains to the west. The pattern was not quite as tight but most of the pieces were going at the same speed. These were big pieces and each of them was burning. As it went more to the north I observed one red object that was at the head going faster than the other pieces. It was a real 'show' of sparks and streaks. About an hour and a half after I saw this event I stopped to get gas and the employee told me someone on a motorcycle had seen the same event I had but they had been far north of me on Hwy 395 but they were heading south. I'm thinking that pieces of this junk must have hit the ground. Event 4094.
Location
Address
Inyokern, CA
Latitude
35° 53' 50.1'' N (35.89725°)
Longitude
117° 53' 54.46'' W (-117.89846°)
Elevation
865.367m
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2018-10-11 01:17 PDT
UT Date & Time
2018-10-11 08:17 UT
Duration
≈7.5s
Direction
Moving direction
From left to right
Descent Angle
90°
Moving
Facing azimuth
269.29°
First azimuth
220.12°
First elevation
1°
Last azimuth
315.49°
Last elevation
-
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-15
Color
Yellow, White
Concurrent Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Delayed Sound
Observation
Unknown
Remarks
-
Persistent train
Observation
No
Duration
-
Length
-
Remarks
-
Terminal flash
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Fragmentation
Observation
Yes
Remarks
When I first observed the 'object' it was in multiple pieces. It was a very dark sky and it was burning as it travelled just about the Sierras about 8 miles to the west of me. This is event 4094.
