Amazing sight!

[Margo_C-T]

Wanted to share my experience of night before last...was coming back to the house from the barn at about 10:25...had been trying to spot a plane I'd heard overhead, swung back around JUST in time to see a FIREBALL fall to earth! No little 'streak' across the sky, this was already in a low angle when I first saw it...a tail, noticeable multi-colored head which IMMEDIATELY got MUCH larger as it flew earthward, and vanished in a final large FLASH! All I could do was stand there with my mouth hanging open!

Only yesterday AM did I see a story about the Perseid meteor shower that could be viewed last night and night before. Most of what you see are apparently 'typical shooting stars',white lines of light streaking high accross the sky...but THIS was SO different! I still can't believe I had the extraordinary good fortune to see it, even so brief as it was!

I thought about getting up in the wee hours to watch last night, but decided I needed a full night's sleep more! Anyone here make a point to watch for the Perseids?

Margo

 

[Sunny]

I went out last night around midnight for about half an hour to watch the meteor showers. I did see a few of the streaks of light, and one really neat ball with a "fizzling" tail. Like you, I chose a good night's sleep over further viewing, but it sure was neat what little I did get to see!

 

[CharlesFamily]

That sounds amazing! Todd and I set the alarm for 4 a.m. as the article I read said that would be the best viewing time in our area. We went and sat on the patio this morning and watched for a little while. Very pretty! The ones we saw were the small ones - some that just flashed and went out and a few that left streaks.

Barbara

 

[AppyLover2]

I woke up at 3 and after tossing and turning for a few minutes remembered the meteor shower so went out for about 30 minutes. Only saw a few streaks but saw a couple of other things that have me wondering about them.

Saw 2 "airplane" type things. You know the flashing red "tail" light, etc. Found myself wondering where in the world planes would be flying to/from at 3 am before I realized they were probably not planes. Satellites maybe??.

The other thing I saw was a much larger, steady burning white light; moving faster than the "planes" but no where near as fast as a falling something.

For those of you who know more about this kind of thing than I do.....what do you think I saw?

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I saw a close(er) one like that last year with the tail and color but last night I just saw LOTS of smaller ones. It started around 11pm here and I watched maybe half an hour. The skies were so clear and so many stars all filling up the space and then the sparklers shooting this way and that.

Better than a fireworks display any day ...er...night. I went to bed feeling very awed by nature and a big contented smile on my face, Hubby thought I was a bit nuts

 

[Margo_C-T]

AppyLover2--

I sure don't know much about this stuff, but I'd make a guess that the ones w/ the flashing red lights WERE planes...though there is generally less late-night traffic, I believe planes fly at ALL hours. The other white light, I'd guess might be a satellite, or even the space station? Just a guess, based on things I've read and heard....Cool to see,though, no matter what!

Margo

 

[Aristocratic Minis]

I think it is wonderful to watch the night sky. Since I was a child, I loved to look for satellites and meteors. I even took an Astronomy class in college.

When a meteorite is in the atmosphere very near you, it will really dazzle you. If they are far away, you see them as a small "shooting star."

Objects with flashing lights are generally airplanes. Satellites do not have flashing lights that we can see readily. Satellites will travel in an arc in the sky at a steady speed from horizon to horizon. It is was recently reported that right now there are 2,271 satellites in orbit around the Earth. Russia has the most satellites in orbit (1,324 satellites), followed by the USA with 658 satellites.

If you want to have some information on what satellites cross where you live there are websites that can help.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Free-Tools-On-The-Internet-For-Satellite-Tracking

AppyLover2, do you think you might have seen a UFO?? I've never seen one, but I know reliable people who have had very strange sightings in the sky. I'd really like to see "one."

 

[AppyLover2]

Margo the possibility of the space station never occurred to me. Great thought.

I've never seen a UFO (other than the ones Ithe other night LOL) but my ex used to work at one of the Minuteman Missle Silo's. He's told me about some sightings that give you goose bumps.

I've always been of the opinion that the universe is a really big place for their to be "life" on only one planet. JMHO and I'm stickin to it.

 

[Aristocratic Minis]

Margo the possibility of the space station never occurred to me. Great thought.

I've never seen a UFO (other than the ones Ithe other night LOL) but my ex used to work at one of the Minuteman Missle Silo's. He's told me about some sightings that give you goose bumps.

I've always been of the opinion that the universe is a really big place for their to be "life" on only one planet. JMHO and I'm stickin to it.

So what did your EX say he had seen? I'm curious.

We don't live far from Stephenville and the Stephenville Lights caused quite a stir a couple of years ago.

There is a lot of info on the internet if you google "Stephenville Lights." Here is a very unusual video. You really can't see anything until 53 seconds. After a while it looks like strange writing in the sky.

#!

 

[Margo_C-T]

Aristocratic Miniatures...

After what you wrote about satellites 'traveling in an arc', I have a question for you.

I always like to look up at the stars, and see what planes are incoming/outgoing, or bypassing, Albuquerque, when I go out to feed 'late' hay. There are certain times when the sky seems really 'busy', out here on the east side of the Sandias at night! Occasionally, though, I've seen an unblinking white light which seems to be traveling at a pretty rapid steady rate, LOW and STRAIGHT! Usually I see this due south of me, traveling east to west, but not in an arc...any idea what this might be? It appears fairly 'close', good-sized, and bright, not like a far-distant moving 'dot'.

Mystery?

Margo

 

[Aristocratic Minis]

Aristocratic Miniatures...

After what you wrote about satellites 'traveling in an arc', I have a question for you.

I always like to look up at the stars, and see what planes are incoming/outgoing, or bypassing, Albuquerque, when I go out to feed 'late' hay. There are certain times when the sky seems really 'busy', out here on the east side of the Sandias at night! Occasionally, though, I've seen an unblinking white light which seems to be traveling at a pretty rapid steady rate, LOW and STRAIGHT! Usually I see this due south of me, traveling east to west, but not in an arc...any idea what this might be? It appears fairly 'close', good-sized, and bright, not like a far-distant moving 'dot'.

Mystery?

Margo

LOL!!!

Mystery???

How close are you to Roswell, Los Alamos, Alamagordo, White Sands, Dulce, or the Archuleta Mesa?

No telling what you may have seen!

I think it is fascinating to wonder about the mysteries of the universe.

Have fun.

http://ufoclearinghouse.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/search?query=new+mexico&query_temp=new+mexico