Fireball
by Simon at 19:27 10/03/09 (Blogs::Simon)
Out walking the dog at about 6:45 this evening, I saw a very bright fireball appear from behind the clouds above and to the east of Venus, descending towards the southwest and growing into an enormous brilliant white object almost as large as the moon before fading out about 6° above the horizon.

Anyone else notice it?

Report submitted to Society for Popular Astronomy Meteor Section:

Site Location:
Town: Figheldean
County: Wiltshire
Country: UK
Latitude: 51 ° 13 ’ ” N
Longitude: 1 ° 48 ’ ” W

Date / Time:
Date: 2009 - 03 - 10
Time (UTC): 18 h 45 m s

Start of fireball’s track:
30 ° altitude, 260 ° azimuth
h m s RA ° Dec.

End of fireball’s track:
6 ° altitude, 235 ° azimuth
h m s RA ° Dec.

Apparent speed: 3

Train Details: No visible train

Sounds: No sounds

Fragmentation: No fragmentation

Colours: Brilliant white

Magnitude Estimate: -12

Additional comments: Appeared in twilight from behind clouds to the east and above Venus and expanded to a ~20' diameter brilliant white circular fireball before fading out. No obvious train or fragmentation. Much brighter than any Iridium flare I've seen, perhaps as bright as the full Moon though slightly smaller maximum diameter of fireball. Track start and end point are estimated - twilight meant only Venus was visible in that region of the sky.
--
simon

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