This was one of the most dramatic events I've ever witnessed. We were backcountry camping and saw this huge fireball whoosh across the sky. It seemed so close and so big that we thought the mountain to the west of us would explode upon impact. We braced for an enormous explosion, but it never came; the fireball was higher altitude than we estimated.
Location
Address
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
Latitude
35° 5' 8.33'' N (35.085647°)
Longitude
109° 47' 14.69'' W (-109.787415°)
Elevation
1720.493042m
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2018-06-29 20:40 MST
UT Date & Time
2018-06-30 03:40 UT
Duration
≈7.5s
Direction
Moving direction
From up left to down right
Descent Angle
107°
Moving
Facing azimuth
182°
First azimuth
260°
First elevation
30°
Last azimuth
84.63°
Last elevation
5°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-16
Color
Green
Concurrent Sound
Observation
Yes
Remarks
there was a whistling and sizzling sound. It was loud enough that my companions, who were facing away from the fireball, heard it and turned around in time to see it.
