Reports Report 6872aw (Event 6872-2021)
| Observer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jay K |
| Experience Level | 2/5 |
| Remarks | This was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen in the night sky. I actually did a Google search that night to see if a satellite had crashed. It was so large and bright, and the fragmentation was so great, that I thought that was the only explanation. Doing research for an article about the Geminid meteor shower (for a small local magazine) I found this site about fireballs, so I thought I'd submit our experience. We were on a boat in Lake Murray and we had an amateur astronomer with us who also saw it. The reaction from the kids and adults was pure joy and awe, and it was truly one of the most beautiful things we've ever seen. The time of 9:15pm may be off, but that is my best guess. We were returning to the dock after leaving the dock at around 7:30pm for a night sky tour with the astronomer. It was one of the most exciting 2-3 seconds we've ever had. |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Address | Chapin, SC |
| Latitude | 34° 4' 20.72'' N (34.072423°) |
| Longitude | 81° 22' 34.62'' W (-81.376283°) |
| Elevation | 108m |
| Time and Duration | |
|---|---|
| Local Date & Time | 2021-10-23 21:15 EDT |
| UT Date & Time | 2021-10-24 01:15 UT |
| Duration | ≈3.5s |
| Direction | |
|---|---|
| Moving direction | From up left to down right |
| Descent Angle | 134° |
| Moving | |
|---|---|
| Facing azimuth | 296.57° |
| First azimuth | 288.59° |
| First elevation | 26° |
| Last azimuth | 313.07° |
| Last elevation | 15° |
| Brightness and color | |
|---|---|
| Stellar Magnitude | -7 |
| Color | It seemed like a combination of colors; maybe light blue, green, yellow, and white. It was beautiful. |
| Concurrent Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Remarks | - |
| Delayed Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Remarks | - |
| Persistent train | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Duration | - |
| Length | - |
| Remarks | - |
| Terminal flash | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Fragmentation | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Remarks | It was as if a huge downward falling Roman candle firework was breaking up in the night sky. It seemed as if there were multiple pieces falling in the 2-3 seconds we saw it. |