The brightness of this was startling. I can easily equate it to looking like a Roman candle going across the sky...if the Roman candle was the size of a basketball. There was no way this would have been mistaken for a planet. The radiance coming off it made it seem about a third the size of the moon. If there wasn't such a bright moon out, I suspect the brightness of it could have cast shadows on the ground. Was amazing to see!
Location
Address
Natchez, LA
Latitude
31° 40' 48.25'' N (31.680069°)
Longitude
93° 2' 45.47'' W (-93.045965°)
Elevation
-
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2014-07-12 21:30 CDT
UT Date & Time
2014-07-13 02:30 UT
Duration
≈20s
Direction
Moving direction
From left to right
Descent Angle
90°
Moving
Facing azimuth
270°
First azimuth
180°
First elevation
35°
Last azimuth
-
Last elevation
30°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-20
Color
Brilliant silver white with a tail. Tail had redish orange sparks
Concurrent Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Delayed Sound
Observation
Unknown
Remarks
-
Persistent train
Observation
No
Duration
-
Length
-
Remarks
-
Terminal flash
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Fragmentation
Observation
Yes
Remarks
We were in a large opening on homestead in the Kisatchie National Forrest. As it went over the top of the trees, the brightness dimmed and we could glimpse what looked like a firework explosion. Red and orange sparks in a spread pattern
