NUFORC Sighting 11249

Occurred: 1999-12-05 05:15 Local
Reported: 1999-12-05 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 10 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Knoxville, TN, USA

Shape: Fireball




Green fireball falling from sky

I had gone out for a cigarette, and was looking approximately South to Southwest of my position. I had just glance away from that direction, when a green flash caught my eye. I turned in the original direction and saw a green fireball with a tail, like a comet's. I would say it was not more than 1/4 mile from me. It was not real large, I probably could have covered it with my thumb at arm's length. It was approxiamtely 100 to 150 feet in the air when I first noticed it. I lost site of it seconds later as it went below the roofline of a hotel in front of me. I listened for a impact, thinking it had to hit the ground, but heard nothing. I called two hotels that faced the direction of the fireball, but neither saw or heard anything. The fireball did not make a sound as it fell. I don't know where it came from, it just suddenly appeared in my vision. I immediately went in and wrote the basics of what I saw down. Beyond this there is no more to add.

Mr. Davenport,
As I was standing looking south to southwest, the object was coming
from my right to my left. athough during the time I saw it, about 5 to
10 seconds it didn't appear to go very far. It didn't shoot across the
whole sky, but seemed to appear and then drop out of my sight in the
same area of sky. The tail came off the object at a 30 to 45 degree
angle. The object seemed to be falling slowly, I believe this is so
because I had time to start seeing the object out of the corner of my
eye (at which time it didn't appear to be to high off the ground) turn
my head and focus on the object before it fell out of view.
Our local news reported it as a "exploding meteor". They also said
that the object was seen as far as Alabama. That strikes me as not
possible, but you'd know better than I. They apparently got calls all
day long about the object. Also our local airport, McGhee Tyson
received calls about it.
Should out local paper have an article on it in tomorrow's paper I'll
forward that you.
Sincerely

Mr Davenport,
I posted a report to your page earlier this morning, Green Fireball in
Knoxville, TN. My name is ((name deleted)).
I saw a news report after I filled out your form. They said they had
received numerous calls about a green fireball in the sky over Blount
County, just south of Knox County. Apparently I was wrong on how far it
was from me, although it looked that close. The local news is reporting
as a (yep you guessed it) meteor.
This is my first siting of something like this, now I understand your
cynicism about the news media. I've seen meteor storms and such, never
have I seen a green one.
I apologize if my report may be a little inaccurate, especially on the
distance I thought it was from me, but it did look that close.
Sincerely,
((name deleted))

NUFORC Note:

Object was reported from Birmingham, AL, and reported on WBRC TV news there.


Posted 1999-12-16

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