Reports Report 1769a (Event 1769-2012)
| Observer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Boyce M |
| Experience Level | 3/5 |
| Remarks | I have seen many, many meteors showers, mostly in areas away from cities and at times of greater activity. Occasionally, I have seen a few while in this particular urban area, but they were mostly very thin, very quick, and very late at night or early in the morning when there was little moonlight. This was the most startling and seemed to be the closest and most dramatic I personally have ever seen. Also, the weird effect of it crossing exactly as the helicopter came around and the flight and burst seeming to be lower in altitude as if between me and the helicopter made it even more unusual. I hope this has been of help and use to you. |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Address | Glendale, CA |
| Latitude | 34° 9' 55.27'' N (34.165353°) |
| Longitude | 118° 16' 38.37'' W (-118.277326°) |
| Elevation | 156.814682m |
| Time and Duration | |
|---|---|
| Local Date & Time | 2012-11-05 21:09 PST |
| UT Date & Time | 2012-11-06 05:09 UT |
| Duration | ≈3.5s |
| Direction | |
|---|---|
| Moving direction | From left to right |
| Descent Angle | 90° |
| Moving | |
|---|---|
| Facing azimuth | 8° |
| First azimuth | 75° |
| First elevation | 49° |
| Last azimuth | 320° |
| Last elevation | 45° |
| Brightness and color | |
|---|---|
| Stellar Magnitude | -13 |
| Color | White |
| Concurrent Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Delayed Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Persistent train | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Duration | 4s |
| Length | 60° |
| Remarks | I was coming back up the driveway from taking out the trash and had stopped to watch a police helicopter circling counterclockwise in the northwest sky from where I was standing. All of a sudden, as the helicopter approached the 3 o'clock position coming around from 6 o'clock, there was a vaporous streak across the night sky from the east to the west that widened to 5 or six times the original width it was when I first saw it. It simultaneously thinned in translucency and burst and broke up just as it crossed paths with the helicopter. My first impression was that it passed and broke up between me and the helicopter, but that may have been due to the brightness of the light, which was not a glaring brightness but more of a swelling up of brightness that did not completely obscure the helicopter. My next reaction was that someone was shooting at the helicopter, but as it continued on its circular path, I then realized it was probably a meteor or fireball of some sort. The time elapsed was about 4 to 5 seconds--it takes longer to read the description than the actual event. Also important to note: All of this took place in the typical urban light spill environment of the Glendale/Burbank/Los Angeles night sky, so seeing any sort of meteor this time of night is unusual. Therefore, it appears to me that it must have been pretty low and pretty bright to cut through enough to be seen. |
| Terminal flash | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Remarks | The head and trail widened as it brightened and thinned to be transparent enough to see through but not so much glare as to obscure the helicopter. |
| Fragmentation | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Remarks | As it burst and brightened it appear to push out several smaller bright streaks primarily in the western or north northwestern direction it was headed, like fingers opening out from a hand |