NUFORC Sighting 03928

Occurred: 1998-09-23 10:30 Local
Reported: 1998-09-24 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 2 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Anson (just east of, on Hwy 180), TX, USA

Shape: Fireball
Characteristics: Left a trail

I saw a baseball sized fireball, green with yellow and red sparks trailing it, for about 2 seconds and then it disappeared.

I was driving east on Hwy. 180 between Anson and Breckenridge, TX shortly after 10 PM and I saw what I first thought was a bottle rocket in the field just off to my right and in front of me. Then I realised that I was in the middle of Texas and the lights of the nearest town were not even in view so it was unlikely that anyone was sitting in that field setting off a single bottle rocket. Also, it was too big and travelling downwards from left to right trailing sparks behind. It was a baseball sized ball of green light trailing yellow and reddish sparks. So then I assumed I saw a meteorite, although I've never seen one before, but I thought it was weird that I did'nt see it hit the ground. I was listening to Art Bell a few hours later and heard all sorts of reports about similar sounding sights, except I had felt that this was smaller and closer to me. Of course, in the dark it's impossible to tell, but now I suppose that if it was actually very far away, that would explain why it disappeared, if it was falling behind a distant hill. The land was pretty flat but there were a few hills. I've seen shooting stars, but they are obviosly as distant as stars and in the upper sky, this was definitely within the atmosphere. As for my background info., I'm 27, a bartender in New Orleans, and was travelling home from vacation with my boyfriend. He did not see it because it was gone before I could say "wow, look at that!"

Posted 1998-09-26