[meteorite-list] Help, your opinion needed

[AL Mitterling]

Hi Jim,

Actually most meteors don't continue to burn to the ground but come to 
the retardation point miles up in the air. Usually if it burns all the 
way to the ground, it hasn't lost it's cosmic velocity, is very big, and 
if your within a couple of miles of it will probably become a part of 
the crater itself. A meteoroid the size of a pea will leave a very 
bright streak in the sky and your right, distance to it will give the 
illusion it is closer or farther away.

Now it might be that what you saw was some sort of man made object which 
I believe is probably true in your case or a misunderstanding as far as 
the fireball that you saw. Also objects that are falling don't veer up. 
They are loosing energy. Also if it were some 35 feet away I am pretty 
sure you would of heard something either before it came down or shortly 
after.

Sometimes when fireballs are seen they sure seem close but in reality as 
others have said they are miles and most likely hundred's of miles away 
from the observer. All my best to you.

--AL Mitterling

jwb7772 at netzero.net wrote:


Yes you are right!  Ten out of ten times a fire ball looks close when it 
is miles away! That is because of the size or the brightness.  If it 
dims it looks further away.  Ifit brightens it looks closer. I had a 
night vision course in the army were we were trained in night optical 
elusions. But in my case I saw the colored teardrops fall off just 
behind the mass and fall into the yard next door about 35 feet away. I 
could see the red, yellow, green, white, blue orange, silver and gold 
drops fall in front of the garage!  So I know exactly where the fireball 
was.  I had a good fix on it.  I was surprised though when it did not 
land where I thought it would.  It verred up slightly and went further 
then I wanted it to. It was a pitch black night.  The fireball was 
total-y silent.  There was a story about it in the newspaper the next 
day. I have it in one of my packed away older meteorite books.  I will 
try to find it and post it.