Reports Report 2310h (Event 2310-2012)
| Observer | |
|---|---|
| Name | T |
| Experience Level | 2/5 |
| Remarks | I noticed it first and was able to get my husband to turn and see it before it "exploded?". (two witnesses!) We just feel so excited and fortunate to have witnessed something many search for and do not see in their entire life... AH-mazng!!!! Truly!!! If we can help you further, feel free to contact me by email or phone. However, our privacy is important to us - so we ask you do not share our last name, etc. (as indicated on your summary). Thank you! |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Address | Chesapeake, VA |
| Latitude | 36° 42' 30.29'' N (36.708414°) |
| Longitude | 76° 14' 30.13'' W (-76.241702°) |
| Elevation | 4.713m |
| Time and Duration | |
|---|---|
| Local Date & Time | 2012-12-29 21:00 EST |
| UT Date & Time | 2012-12-30 02:00 UT |
| Duration | ? |
| Direction | |
|---|---|
| Moving direction | From up right to down left |
| Descent Angle | 225° |
| Moving | |
|---|---|
| Facing azimuth | 273.79° |
| First azimuth | 317.01° |
| First elevation | 19° |
| Last azimuth | 247.69° |
| Last elevation | 11° |
| Brightness and color | |
|---|---|
| Stellar Magnitude | -19 |
| Color | Orange, Yellow, White |
| Concurrent Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | We have seen a lot of fireworks in our time - but this was no firework!!! The brightness of the fireball made us feel it was close, however, we could also tell by the apparent position in the sky that it was "burning" until it broke into 5 or 6 (or so) pieces and the flash went out first, followed by the stream (or tail) behind it. |
| Delayed Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Persistent train | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Duration | 4s |
| Length | 15° |
| Remarks | High clear sky ceiling last night... train looked white for a couple of seconds after fireball appeared to break up. |
| Terminal flash | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Remarks | My husband and I witnessed it - a once in a lifetime event - cannot imagine ever seeing anything like this again... spectacular and a little frightening all at once! At the angle indicated where we last saw it, we said, "Oh my goodness! Is that "explosion" close enough to do any damage to, say - North Carolina (from where we were - or Suffolk (VA)?" We could actually detect pieces which broke away from the fireball - maybe 5 or 6 and fell almost like a firework that did not go off correctly. In other words - all of the "fragments" were led by gravity downward - with no upward (or above) fireball extensions. Hope this makes sense. We are not professionals. Although we try to remember dates to look to the sky for special events - this has made us appreciate and want to learn more. I am curious how many others may have seen this. Bighter and clearer than ANYTHING I ever thought I would see in my lifetime!!! |
| Fragmentation | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Remarks | We have seen a lot of fireworks in our time - but this was no firework!!! The brightness of the fireball made us feel it was close, however, we could also tell by the apparent position in the sky that it was "burning" until it broke into 5 or 6 (or so) pieces and the flash went out first, followed by the stream (or tail) behind it. |