Reports Report 5012jf (Event 5012-2023)
| Observer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dave M |
| Experience Level | 5/5 |
| Remarks | This was the second stunning visual event of the night as seen from the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg's Naylor Observatory. At approximately 9:22 p.m. EDT, about 20 minutes after watching a bright Starlink satellite train travel through the handle of the Big Dipper and past Vega before entering the Earth's shadow, two fellow ASH members and I witnessed a very bright bolide streak rapidly across the southeastern sky below the first-magnitude star Altair for about 15 to 20 degrees before fragmenting. Its color changed from green to white as it disintegrated. The bolide was bright enough to light up the ground and was perhaps magnitude -12 or greater. None of us heard a sonic boom. It was the best meteor I've seen in years. |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Address | Lewisberry, PA |
| Latitude | 40° 8' 54.55'' N (40.148485°) |
| Longitude | 76° 53' 43.25'' W (-76.895348°) |
| Elevation | 177.898376m |
| Time and Duration | |
|---|---|
| Local Date & Time | 2023-09-03 21:22 EDT |
| UT Date & Time | 2023-09-04 01:22 UT |
| Duration | ≈3.5s |
| Direction | |
|---|---|
| Moving direction | From up left to down right |
| Descent Angle | 95° |
| Moving | |
|---|---|
| Facing azimuth | 170° |
| First azimuth | 160° |
| First elevation | 35° |
| Last azimuth | 180° |
| Last elevation | 30° |
| Brightness and color | |
|---|---|
| Stellar Magnitude | -12 |
| Color | Green then white |
| Concurrent Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Delayed Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Persistent train | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Duration | - |
| Length | - |
| Remarks | - |
| Terminal flash | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Remarks | - |
| Fragmentation | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Remarks | The bolide rapidly fragmented into several pieces. |