Any comments about whether this could be a decay? He uses the phrase "right out", by which I would guess he means "incorrect". Cheers. Walter Nissen dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu --- Did you see the evening star? --- > From: dave@west.net (Dave) > Newsgroups: sci.astro,west.general,tri.general > Subject: What the *&*# was THAT?!?! > Date: Thu Jan 4 22:56:37 1996 > That's what I said to myself tonight, at 1910 local (PST), > 0310 UTC, as I observed a (relatively) huge fireball fall in the south. > I'm in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. I was walking to my car at that time, > and in front of me, approximately due south, and about 15 degrees > elevation, I saw a bright white fireball, approximately 5-10 times > the apparent diameter of the North Star, with a long, fat orange tail > of fire. The tail was probably 100 times the diameter of the object. > I'm not into astronomy at all, but it seemed to be travelling at > about one-tenth the apparent speed of what I've seen of the Perseids. > It seemed to be falling in an East South-Easterly direction, and I > saw it for perhaps 1.5 seconds before it disappeared behind the trees. > It was showing no signs of burning out. > I've *never* seen any meteor move this slowly, have this kind of > tail, or last nearly this long. I suspect whatever it was landed in > the Pacific. > How can I find out more about it? > David Carmean WestNet Communications, Inc. > System/Network Administrator 7 W. Figueroa St, Suite 20 > WestNet Communications, Inc. Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA > <dave@west.net> (805)892-2133, fax: (805)892-2135 > From: dave@west.net (Dave) > Date: Fri Jan 5 11:50:49 1996 > Michael Dworetsky (mmd@zuaxp0.star.ucl.ac.uk) wrote: > : Two possibilities come to mind: a rocket launch from Vandenberg AFB, > : although from the directions cited this may be unlikely, or a satellite > : reentry. From the slow speed indicated, you are right to suspect that a > : meteor is unlikely. > Well, the first guess is right out....I lived three miles from > Vandenberg for twenty years, and have seen tens of night launches of > all types. Definitely not what this was. But a reasonable guess > nonethless because you couldn't have known that. > Thanks.