Fireball report

Reports Report 7611ho (Event 7611-2021)

Observer
Name	Jeff T
Experience Level	3/5
Remarks	In the mid 1950s, my family was driving south in the mountains north of Monterrey, Mexico. Well after dark, to the West, we saw and heard a fireball, which looked like a house on fire, falling on an southern angle. It disappeared behind the hills. We heard no impact sound, although it appeared to be so close. I was 10. Can still see it. This is the only other time ive seen flames. I look at the stars for orientation, time, and fun every night. No science beyond halfassed naturalist inclination.

Location
Address	Princeton, NJ
Latitude	40° 21' 10.6'' N (40.352945°)
Longitude	74° 39' 1.58'' W (-74.65044°)
Elevation	55.616726m

Time and Duration
Local Date & Time	2021-11-13 16:35 EST
UT Date & Time	2021-11-13 21:35 UT
Duration	≈1.5s

Direction
Moving direction	From up left to down right
Descent Angle	104°

Moving
Facing azimuth	160.62°
First azimuth	138.91°
First elevation	27°
Last azimuth	167.4°
Last elevation	19°

Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude	-16
Color	Light Blue, Orange, Yellow, Light Yellow, White

Concurrent Sound
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Delayed Sound
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Persistent train
Observation	No
Duration	-
Length	-
Remarks	-

Terminal flash
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Fragmentation
Observation	Yes
Remarks	I was driving uphill, so my horizon is skewed making it appear lower to me. It was not a point with a tail. I thought it was a long piece of an airplane, trailing other much shorter fragments, which were the usual white streak. The long piece appeared to be in flames. It had some vertical width. At arm’s length it covered about seven inches of sky. The whole streak traveled about that distance and appeared to burn out. If you can map this, i thought for a moment it might have been a missile headed directly for the princeton Universty football stadium, about four blocks away. where i was headed. I dont know what time it was. It was still light. The sky was blue with some clouds. I think. I arrived at the game about ten minutes later with roughly five minutes elapsed in fhe third quarter. The game was televised so the time should be easy to estimate. I thought it would have been easily visible to everyone in the. North ( home) side of the stadium. I asked a few people. No one saw anything. I pointed up about 35-40 degrees. But i imagine my estimation from another location is elevation dependent and way wrong. Could have been behind them. I will say that my observation that the trajectory was directly toward the stadium is solid. The angles I gave you should reflect that. I think now they may be too horizontal. Again, i was driving up hill. BTW the game films might show a light value change, if not the object. I imagine you have colleagues in the astronomy dept.

Fragmentation

Observation

Yes

Remarks

I was driving uphill, so my horizon is skewed making it appear lower to me. It was not a point with a tail. I thought it was a long piece of an airplane, trailing other much shorter fragments, which were the usual white streak. The long piece appeared to be in flames. It had some vertical width. At arm’s length it covered about seven inches of sky. The whole streak traveled about that distance and appeared to burn out. If you can map this, i thought for a moment it might have been a missile headed directly for the princeton Universty football stadium, about four blocks away. where i was headed. I dont know what time it was. It was still light. The sky was blue with some clouds. I think. I arrived at the game about ten minutes later with roughly five minutes elapsed in fhe third quarter. The game was televised so the time should be easy to estimate. I thought it would have been easily visible to everyone in the. North ( home) side of the stadium. I asked a few people. No one saw anything. I pointed up about 35-40 degrees. But i imagine my estimation from another location is elevation dependent and way wrong. Could have been behind them. I will say that my observation that the trajectory was directly toward the stadium is solid. The angles I gave you should reflect that. I think now they may be too horizontal. Again, i was driving up hill. BTW the game films might show a light value change, if not the object. I imagine you have colleagues in the astronomy dept.