This fireball siting was surreal. We observe "shooting stars" quite a bit since we live somewhat in the county but this siting was low, very bright and traveling very fast. It was right in front of us when it broke apart. My husband and I stood there for a few minutes to absorb what we had just witnessed. So very cool.
Location
Address
Smithville, MO
Latitude
39° 24' 55.32'' N (39.415368°)
Longitude
94° 34' 3.39'' W (-94.567609°)
Elevation
293.299m
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2018-08-27 20:40 CDT
UT Date & Time
2018-08-28 01:40 UT
Duration
≈3.5s
Direction
Moving direction
From right to left
Descent Angle
270°
Moving
Facing azimuth
351.41°
First azimuth
12.16°
First elevation
45°
Last azimuth
308.53°
Last elevation
44°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-16
Color
Light Yellow
Concurrent Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Delayed Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Persistent train
Observation
Yes
Duration
2s
Length
20°
Remarks
The fireball broke into two pieces. the smaller piece burned out quickly. the larger piece traveled farther along the same trajectory and burned out after a couple of seconds. there was a small trail of debris behind the larger piece for a brief second
Terminal flash
Observation
Yes
Remarks
This happened when the fireball broke into two pieces
Fragmentation
Observation
Yes
Remarks
when the fireball broke into two pieces there were fragments behind the larger (leading) piece for a brief second
