[meteorite-list] Satellite Reentry Witness 4

[Kevin Forbes]

My apologies George, I should read my scribblings a few times before I post 
them.

:-)

Lest I draw a different picture than the one intended.
It did read as if it travelled the entire sky, bad me.
I'll try this again.
You probably like to look at at satellites in the sky as well as myself.
I enjoy making radio contact with PCSAT and the ISS packet system and crew 
using the amateur radio setup in the shack, and then dashing outside to see 
the bird I am making contact with.
The thing I saw, was comparable to an aircraft at a distance. But did not 
traverse the entire sky, it was perhaps only 10-20 degrees parallel to the 
horizon, it didn't move or cover much more than the general direction of 
looking to the North.
At my location, it would have actually been travelling in a Sth West to the 
Nth East, or Nth West to the Sth East. But all I perceived was the West to 
East motion.
This is why, I feel so sure it was the sat and not the rock.

Sorry for the double post to you also, I forgot to include the met-list as 
well, just so anyone else is not left out of the loop, so to speak.
:-)

Kevin.

> >>The light was low on the horizon, about 10-15 degrees
>above  it. After a few seconds it seperated into several glowing fragments,
>and  then a shower of debris, all travelling at the same leisurely pace
>across  the sky. It was visible for about 20 seconds before it faded out. 
>At
>first  I thought I had seen an aircraft breaking up in flight, but after no
>aeroplane crashes were reported, it became obvious that what I had  
>witnessed
>was the re-entry of a satellite. I will never forget it, and I  have not 
>seen
>another one since. I have seen many, many meteorites streak  across the sky
>and the slowest of those was still much faster than the  re-entry that I 
>had
>witnessed. They are indeed a rare thing to  behold.<<
>
>Kevin, From what you wrote, part of me wants to think that you actually saw
>a meteor and not a re-entering satellite. The reasoning is that a bright
>meteor  fireball that occurs low on the horizon, will appear very 
>slow...even a
>fast  velocity meteor could appear very slow at that altitude. The meteor 
>would
>be  very far away...something like 200 miles or more distance. The other 
>thing
>is  the time duration of 20 seconds. This is well within the range of 
>fireball
>  meteor durations. You said it traveled "across the sky". If it indeed
>travel across most of the sky within that time frame...then my money is  
>definitely
>on it being a meteor. It would be way too fast for it to  be a re-entering
>satellite. Most earthgrazing type meteors usually travel a  lot faster than 
>the
>20 seconds you reported...like perhaps less than 5  seconds. Yes, reading 
>your
>words very closely, I feel confident stating  that you actually saw a
>fireball.
>George Zay
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