NUFORC Sighting 42588

Occurred: 2005-02-24 19:20 Local
Reported: 2005-02-28 18:08 Pacific
Duration: 30 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Coal Hill, AR, USA

Shape: Light

Update to previous report of orange lights sighted in western Arkansas.

This is a correction for coordinates mentioned in a previous report filed on 02/24/05 from Coal Hill, Arkansas. My telescope is a computerized GOTO model which was aligned to the north celestial pole tonight {02/28/05}, synchronized with Aldebaran, and then put into "terrestrial" mode before slewing to the exact spot in which the "fireflies" {orange lights} were observed as mentioned in the previous report.

It turns out the more precise coordinates are 246 degrees azimuth plus and minus an estimated degree to encompass the region of sky the lights were seen.

The previously-reported altitude of 10 to 20 degrees above the horizon, however, was grossly inaccurate and exaggerated. My apologies. The more accurate altitude of where the phenomena was observed, according to my scope's Autostar handcontroller after slewing its Red-dot finderscope to a spot that coincided with nearby landmarks {a tree in the backyard and some streetlights a few blocks away}, is about no more than 4 degrees above the horizon at the most and 2 at the least.

A protractor, map of Arkansas, and a pen showed a line- of-sight that goes directly over the town of Charleston, Ar., Ft. Chaffee military reservation, Greenwood, Ar., and also Poteau, Ok. This would of been revised sooner if not for inclement weather in the interim.

And this is why I love my telescope.

Thank you.

Posted 2005-04-16