The fireball was part of the 2015 Geminid Meteor Shower. (Much more than just a thin, quick streak from the more common meteors though.). It lasted long enough that I could pause as I watched it pass (as opposed to catching a quick streak out of the corner of my eye).
Location
Address
Geismar, LA
Latitude
30° 15' 37.98'' N (30.260551°)
Longitude
90° 59' 1.92'' W (-90.983868°)
Elevation
5.555m
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2015-12-14 20:53 CST
UT Date & Time
2015-12-15 02:53 UT
Duration
≈1.5s
Direction
Moving direction
From up left to down right
Descent Angle
95°
Moving
Facing azimuth
80°
First azimuth
70°
First elevation
25°
Last azimuth
90°
Last elevation
20°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-17
Color
Light Yellow, White
Concurrent Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Delayed Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Persistent train
Observation
No
Duration
-
Length
-
Remarks
-
Terminal flash
Observation
Yes
Remarks
Saw the fireball grow in size until it was extremely bright, then it quickly dissipated.
Fragmentation
Observation
Yes
Remarks
As the fireball traveled & appeared to grow, the long tail was like a sparkler firework closest to the fireball, narrowing to a thinner tail at the end.
