Reports Report 3262qq (Event 3262-2018)
| Observer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rachael B |
| Experience Level | 3/5 |
| Remarks | This was the biggest thing I have seen pass through our atmosphere (I am sure it was doing just that, and breaking up). We live in a dark sky area (Flint Hills of Kansas - we have no cell reception here!) and see "shooting stars" fairly frequently and have seen meteors (Perseids, etc.) intentionally by camping out for that purpose. I remember seeing Hailey's comet came through when I was a kid (though I was not in Kansas then). It is easy to find satellites on clear nights and Fort Riley has jets and other vehicles (choppers) fly over but this was unlike those. It was like a falling star that seemed very close (though I know now it was over another state - just amazing to me how big it must have been!) Trying to comprehend whether I was seeing a jet afire, though moving too fast, and then seeing it fragment, made me want to hop in the car and chase it; it seemed like it had to land relatively close by. Deceptively close seeming - I think it'll be something I will remember until I'm senile! |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Address | Burdick, KS |
| Latitude | 38° 31' 53.26'' N (38.53146°) |
| Longitude | 96° 43' 54.47'' W (-96.731797°) |
| Elevation | 397.419m |
| Time and Duration | |
|---|---|
| Local Date & Time | 2018-08-27 20:30 CDT |
| UT Date & Time | 2018-08-28 01:30 UT |
| Duration | ≈7.5s |
| Direction | |
|---|---|
| Moving direction | From up right to down left |
| Descent Angle | 263° |
| Moving | |
|---|---|
| Facing azimuth | 90° |
| First azimuth | 110° |
| First elevation | 33° |
| Last azimuth | 40° |
| Last elevation | 7° |
| Brightness and color | |
|---|---|
| Stellar Magnitude | -7 |
| Color | The brightness (light to medium yellow) is what caught my eye but I also had the impression of dark blue and a bit of red or orange (is that crazy?) - made me think it was a jet plane on fire crashing to earth. |
| Concurrent Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Delayed Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Persistent train | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Duration | 1s |
| Length | 25° |
| Remarks | It made the object look like a long thin wedge (like a jet plane). It seemed glowing and a little like dark smoke (but I wonder if that was just my eyes reacting to the bright and the dark was just after effect?) |
| Terminal flash | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Fragmentation | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Remarks | As it was descending, a smaller piece broke off but continued in basically the same direction as the larger body. It went over a hedge row (line of trees) and was lost from my sight. |