NUFORC Sighting 60281

Occurred: 2007-12-10 19:00 Local
Reported: 2007-12-10 22:34 Pacific
Duration: over 5 minutes
No of observers: 4

Location: Hixson, TN, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Emitted beams

Comet looking object. Probably a Centaur rocket fuel dump.

We walked outside to get in the car and my son asked "Daddy, is that Venus in the sky?" I thought it was comet Holmes, so I told him that, "No, that is a comet! It must have become brighter again!" On our way to eat, we called a few people, none of them were able to see it from their vantage point. When we got back about an hour later, it was gone. Just plain gone.

I do know what a comet looks like, as I was an astronomy teaching assistant for four years. This object was about the width of the moon, about "three moons" in length (full moons) and the 'points' were about as bright as Jupiter. The 'tail' was clearly visible, but spread out in a cone shape. I looked on the internet, and found out that there was a "There was a Centaur rocket fuel dump" this evening that was supposed to look like a short lived comet. What we saw matched this description, but we do not know where in the sky the fuel dump was to be seen. We saw this in between Perseus, Auriga, and Camelopardalis. About.

The object did not appear to move, and was white in color.

I am 38 and have a PhD in physics. My wife is 34 and is a homemaker. My two boys are 7 and 6 years old.

NUFORC Note:

Missile venting fuel in space. Witness is correct. PD

Posted 2008-03-04