Long-lasting fireball over Florida, U.S.
A long-lasting, green fireball was recorded over Florida, U.S. around 01:18 UTC on August 11, 2023 (21:18 LT, August 10). The event lasted at least 15 seconds.
The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 54 reports, 2 videos, and 1 photo of the event by 20:00 UTC today.
An analysis of reports submitted to the AMS indicates that the meteor first became visible at an altitude of 77 km (48 miles) above a point just north of Grand Bay on the Alabama/Mississippi state line, moving north of east at 50 000 km/h (31 000 mph). It traveled some 207 km (129 miles) through Earth’s atmosphere before disintegrating 45 km (28 miles) above the Florida town of Paxton, NASA Meteor Watch reported.
“At this time, it appears that this fireball was caused by a natural object, not a reentering piece of space junk or rocket body. However, the uncertainty in the available information is such that we cannot conclusively rule out a reentry.”
This meteor was not a member of the Perseid meteor shower.
References:
1 Fireball event 4236-2023 – AMS – August 11, 2023
Featured image credit: Pamela Petron (stillshot)
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