NUFORC Sighting 03993

Occurred: 1998-09-23 21:10 Local
Reported: 1998-09-23 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Vancouver, WA, USA

Shape: Fireball

A 5 second slow 60 degree arc of light; slower & brighter greenish glow toward end of arc traveling east to west.

My wife and I were sitting in our hot tub Wednesday evening as we often do. We have spent many hours out there in the evenings observing the high altitude jets on their way to Seattle; and counting satellites as they orbit and the occasional metorite. I mention this only to indicate that we are very familar with the normal nighttime sky activity. At approximately 9:10PM, I interrupted our conversation, pointed at the sky and said WHOA!.....WHOA!......WHOA!......WHOA! as I tracked the light across the sky. It is my exclamations that now help me estimate the time duration of the event. In this time it traveled from the east to the west in about a 60 degree arc until it passed behind a tree. I also estimate the angle from the horizon was about 60 degrees to the south of our location in Cascade Park, Vancouver, WA. Some things I noticed most unusual: The speed slowed and became brighter toward the end of my vision, glowing a bright greenish blue. The size of the fireball seemed larger at the end, about the size of a baseball in the air at 30 feet. Also, even from the beginning of the arc the speed of this object was much slower than and metorite I have ever observed and we did enjoy the recent summer meteor showers.

Posted 1998-09-26