Reports Report 1144m (Event 1144-2018)

This report has been linked to the following event: Event 1144-2018
Observer
NameRoy M
Experience Level3/5
RemarksThis was by far the biggest and brightest fireball I have ever observed. It lasted about 3 seconds. If you were outdoors, you could not fail to notice it; it was as if someone had turned on a car's headlights at night from about 15 yards away. It seemed very close; much closer than the commercial jet traffic that is routinely seen over Fort Collins, and I would guess that it was at less than 20,000 feet up when I saw it. I would guess that given its low position and relatively flat trajectory, the largest pieces would have landed near the Colorado/Wyoming border about 40 miles to the north.
Location
AddressFort Collins, CO
Latitude40° 33' 2.62'' N (40.55°)
Longitude 105° 6' 59.32'' W (-105.12°)
Elevation1546.85m
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time2018-03-24 04:21 MDT
UT Date & Time2018-03-24 10:21 UT
Duration≈3.5s
Direction
Moving directionFrom up left to down right
Descent Angle94°
Moving
Facing azimuth358.61°
First azimuth275.54°
First elevation27°
Last azimuth330.73°
Last elevation25°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude-19
ColorOrange, Yellow
Concurrent Sound
ObservationNo
Remarks-
Delayed Sound
ObservationNo
Remarks-
Persistent train
ObservationYes
Duration1s
Length40°
RemarksIt was a yellow/orange band about 3 degrees wide that persisted for about a second after the front passed. The fireball was bright enough to illuminate my surroundings to a surprising degree ( I was able to perceive the green of the vegetation next to the trail). It was far brighter than the full moon, perhaps similar to being within 15 yards of car headlights.
Terminal flash
ObservationNo
Remarks-
Fragmentation
ObservationYes
RemarksThe head of the fireball split into 4 pieces (one large, one medium, and two small) at the end, just after it passed the tail end of the constellation Leo and as it neared within about 10 degrees of the pointer stars in the Big Dipper.