NUFORC Sighting 09889

Occurred: 1999-09-17 05:35 Local - Approximate
Reported: 1999-09-24 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Western North Carolina Mountains, NC, USA

Shape: Fireball
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Left a trail

I saw a brilliant flash in the southern sky going from East to West.

ON THE MORNING OF SEPT. 17 TH. I WAS PATROLLING IN A SMALL TOWN IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MTNS. I AM A POLICE OFFICER. I HAD PULLED UP ON TO A LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL FIELD AND STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO STRETCH MY LEGS. IT WAS 0535 IN THE MORNING. I WAS FACING ROUGHLY NORTH BECAUSE I HAD JUST FOUND POLARIS. I BECAME AWARE OF A BRILLIANT LIGHT IN THE SKY BEHIND ME. IT MADE MY SHADOW APPEAR ON THE FIELD AND I NOTICED THAT MY SHADOW WAS MOVING. MY FIRST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A STREET LIGHT THAT HAD BLINKED ON BEHIND ME...BUT THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON THIS FIELD. I ALSO KNEW THAT NO LIGHT SOURCE FROM A STREET LIGHT WOULD MOVE WHICH IN TURN WOULD CAUSE MY SHADOW TO MOVE.

I TURNED AROUND AND SAW A BRILLIANT FLASH IN THE SKY. IT WAS OF A BLUE-GREEN COLOR AND WAS IN THE SOUTHERN SKY AND APPEARED TO BE TRAVELLING FROM EAST TO WEST. THE OBJECT LEFT A VISIBLE TRAIL THAT STRETCHED OUT BEHIND IT. THE OBJECT THEN BROKE APART INTO FOUR OR FIVE LARGE PIECES AND WENT OUT....OR RATHER BURNED UP. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS MORE RE-ENTERING SPACE JUNK...OR SOME TYPE OF METEOR...BUT IT WAS BY FAR THE BRIGHTEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. IT TRULY DID TURN NIGHT INTO DAY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. IT WAS A BRILLIANT FLASH.

Posted 1999-10-02