[meteorite-list] Fireball reported over Tucson

[D. Hill]

Hi Mike and Meteorite-List,

YES!  I  saw it from Tucson.  It was one of the best fireballs I've ever 
seen.
I was driving east on the little entrance road to "Cactus Country RV 
Resort" off of Houghton Road.  At 9:45 P.M. local time, I and two 
passengers saw a beautiful green fireball due east toward the Rincon 
Mountains.  It was much brighter than Venus (-4 mag); perhaps  -8 mag?  
It looked like a slow, bright, green arrowhead. It started about 40 
degrees above the horizon and traveled at angle of ~60 degrees from the 
zenith.  The light extinguished with a flash about 5 degrees above the 
horizon.  (My eyes were not dark adapted so I didn't identify the 
background stars).  It took at least 5 secs. to traverse.  About half 
way through the trail, it brightened to a green "arrowhead", narrowed to 
a normal trail, and then ended with an even brighter green "arrowhead" 
perhaps -10mag.

Rik Hill was observing from the UA Catalina Sky Survey's Schmidt 
Telescope on Mt. Bigelow and saw a sudden brightening in the wide field 
CCD camera.  Unfortunately no pictures.

I was amused to read that the fireball was observed eastward from 
Deming, New Mexico because, as is common, my companions insisted it 
would be found in the desert close by.  Hence the importance of multiple 
observations.

Good luck to all the meteorite hunters!
-Dolores Hill
Lunar & Planetary Lab
U. of Arizona

Michael Farmer wrote:

>I just saw on the 10:00 pm news that a large fireball was seen over Tucson
>descending behind the Rincon Mountains to the east of the city.
>Anyone know of any other reports?
>Mike Farmer
>
>PS: I have just returned from a meteorite hunting trip, and have a brand new
>Lunar (actually two) to report.
>
>News out soon, but one of our very own list members has found TWO new moon
>rocks in the last 40 days while searching for meteorites with me!
>
>
>
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