This report has been linked to the following event: Event 381-2015
Observer
Name
John B
Experience Level
3/5
Remarks
It was very bright and at least two other people I talked to saw exactly what I did.
Location
Address
Wintersville, OH
Latitude
40° 25' 2.4'' N (40.42°)
Longitude
80° 44' 44.31'' W (-80.75°)
Elevation
357.34m
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2015-02-17 04:47 EST
UT Date & Time
2015-02-17 09:47 UT
Duration
≈3.5s
Direction
Moving direction
From up left to down right
Descent Angle
167°
Moving
Facing azimuth
101.35°
First azimuth
14.86°
First elevation
55°
Last azimuth
39.88°
Last elevation
22°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-13
Color
Yellow
Concurrent Sound
Observation
Unknown
Remarks
-
Delayed Sound
Observation
Unknown
Remarks
-
Persistent train
Observation
Unknown
Duration
-
Length
-
Remarks
-
Terminal flash
Observation
Yes
Remarks
I was driving and it was the flash that first drew my attention. The sky lit up as if a full moon had just come out from behind a dark cloud. I was almost certain I hadn't noticed a moon earlier on my drive and I knew the sky was clear because it was very cold outside. I've seen many shooting stars before but this just blew my mind! I've never seen anything light up the sky the way this thing did. It was comparable to a firework. When I got to work I asked if anyone else had seen it and two of my coworkers did. We were all amazed by the brightness. As for fragmentation, I only saw what appeared to be a tail coming from the trailing end of a round ball. It seemed to "shoot" or fall almost perpendicular to the ground. It certainly seemed to be moving much more vertical than horizontal. I've never witnessed anything like this before so I'm not certain that what I saw could be described as fragmentation.
