Fireball report

Reports Report 1220f (Event 1220-2021)

This report has been linked to the following event: Event 1220-2021

Observer
Name	Michael B
Experience Level	2/5
Remarks	I had put this down to a mystery until the next day when I saw wide reporting of a fireball meteor occuring shortly before 10pm in the UK and I immediately realised that what I had seen was such a fireball. Hundreds of people have reported it so I would not have bothered until I realised that the fireball I saw was around a full hour later. I know the time almost exactly as a friend I was speaking to asked me if I had seen Arcturus and how bright it was, which spurred me to go and look from the window as I'd been out earlier but paying more attention to the winter triangle. I couldn't get the right angle to see it from the window and just as I had given up and was turning away from the window I witnessed the event! Can't believe my luck.

Location
Address	, England (GB)
Latitude	51° 15' 44.41'' N (51.26°)
Longitude	0° 35' 10.4'' W (-0.59°)
Elevation	49.46m

Time and Duration
Local Date & Time	2021-02-28 22:57 GMT
UT Date & Time	2021-02-28 22:57 UT
Duration	≈1.5s

Direction
Moving direction	From up left to down right
Descent Angle	108°

Moving
Facing azimuth	334.82°
First azimuth	341.47°
First elevation	14°
Last azimuth	337.66°
Last elevation	-

Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude	-17
Color	Orange, Yellow

Concurrent Sound
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Delayed Sound
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Persistent train
Observation	No
Duration	-
Length	-
Remarks	-

Terminal flash
Observation	Yes
Remarks	An orange downward streak like a downward firework caught my attention and as I looked in that direction a very bright orange and yellow pillar of light flashed and lit up the sky, like an explosion. Almost funnel shaped, wider at the top and narrower toward the bottom. The source of the flash was beneath the horizon as I could see it (with buildings blocking the true horizon) and the flash eminated from behind the silhouette of those buildings. So much so that I rationalised that it might have been a car explosion, but ruled this out on account of there being no audible explosion, no bang or pop. I was watching this from a 3rd floor bedroom window.

Terminal flash

Observation

Yes

Remarks

An orange downward streak like a downward firework caught my attention and as I looked in that direction a very bright orange and yellow pillar of light flashed and lit up the sky, like an explosion. Almost funnel shaped, wider at the top and narrower toward the bottom. The source of the flash was beneath the horizon as I could see it (with buildings blocking the true horizon) and the flash eminated from behind the silhouette of those buildings. So much so that I rationalised that it might have been a car explosion, but ruled this out on account of there being no audible explosion, no bang or pop. I was watching this from a 3rd floor bedroom window.

Fragmentation
Observation	No
Remarks	-