I was asked to post this note by Blake Bell, a lovely fellow I had the
pleasure of meeting not so long ago.
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Bell, Blake A" <[email protected]>
Date: November 21, 2009 6:25:38 PM EST
To: "Darryl Pitt" <[email protected]>
Subject: Fireball Over Lower Hudson Valley - Can you Post to List
for Me, Please?
Darryl:
I have tried to post to the list a half dozen times in the last six
months, but my messages never appear. Can you help by forwarding
this to the list? I hope it may be of help.
At 5:48 p.m. this evening (Sat., Nov. 21, 2009, Eastern Time in the
U.S.), my son and I witnessed a large fireball over what would
appear to be the lower Hudson Valley north / northeast of New York
City. I am unaccustomed to the technical descriptions necessary,
but will do my best to describe what we saw. I was driving at the
time, so I cannot say if there was any sound that accompanied what I
now assume to be a large meteor.
We were about to intersect with the Boston Post Road near Long
Island Sound in Pelham, NY (10803) and were facing North, slightly
Northeast. To our right at an estimated 60 to 70 degrees above the
horizon and moving from right to left (very approximately east to
west) and declining (I am guessing) at about 30 degrees from level
was a beautiful and large fireball. I would estimate it at very
roughly about 1/20th the size of the moon. There clearly was a
circular, yellow-orange center trailed by what can only be described
as plumes of flame -- mostly yellow with tinges of orange. It was
not "sparkling" and we did not see anything break away from the main
mass during the time we witnessed the event. The circular mass of
light (trailed by plumes) continued across the horizon before
disappearing behind trees, always trailed by a fiery tail that did
not seem to extend at any time more than two or three times the size
of the radius of the central mass. The fiery tail remained "very
close" to the central mass while we observed the event.
Although I have seen many meteors, I have only seen one other event
like this (during the 1970s in Charlottesville, Virginia). This was
even more substantial than what I saw then. I hope that this
results in other reports. It certainly was thrilling for my son and
I to observe.
Best regards and hope all is well!
Blake
____________________________
Blake Bell
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Tel: (212) 455-2935
Fax: (212) 455-2502
[email protected]
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