After quite a bit of work, the Meteor Physics group at the University of Western Ontario did manage to find video of this event on two of their all-sky cameras. It was at extreme range (~300 km) and very close to the horizon, making trajectory determination difficult, but they were able to establish the following:
End point: 41.9112 N, 76.6969 W, height = 49.339 km (this when UWO cameras cut off, meteor extended farther to the east, but was not visible)
No radar or infrasound signature was detected. Because of the high speed, it is highly doubtful if this event produced meteorites.
Hamilton, Ontario Allsky video of 23FEB2011 05:14:44 EST meteor event
The meteor was approximately 300 miles distant from camera.
(meteor appears very briefly at the 8 O`clock position.)
Meteor Physics group at the University of Western Ontario
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Begin and Terminal Points
(c) Bill Cooke, NASA 2011 |
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Elevated view of Begin and Terminal Points
(c) Bill Cooke, NASA 2011 |
VIDEO/PHOTOS Still NEEDED!!! please email:
lunarmeteoritehunter@gmail.com
This event was seen in Vermont, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, DC, Virginia, USA /
Quebec and Ontario, Canada.
Reader`s Witness Reports:
Castleton, Vermont Green Meteor Fireball 5:25am EST 23FEB2011
I am responding to a green meteorite google search I came across, hoping to provide some useful information. I was standing outside my apartment this morning at about
5:25am, when i looked in to southwest to see a
falling bright green light. It was falling much slower than any other meteor or shooting star I have seen. I have witnessed probably over 50 shooting stars in my lifetime, and enjoyed the pleasure of watching an intense meteor shower two summers ago (2009). This green meteor definitely appeared to be falling slowly, and if i were to estimate, it remained falling in the sky for about
2-3 seconds (which seemed like forever) before it grew into a bright white light and dissapeared closely above the horizon. I live in
Castleton, Vermont, and after dong some quick research, I found that most of these green sightings occur in the southwestern states, which is odd. Anyway, I hope this isnt some scam, because I have never seen anything like this in my 23 yrs of watching the sky. Although I have seen some peculiar lights/objects in the sky in the past couple of years, this was definitely the greenest.. Please respond if there is any more information you need, I am glad to help in any way I can!
~Kacy
Thank you Kacy for your kind report. Please file an official AMS meteor sighting report.
Smryna, Delaware Meteor with Green Yellow Tail ~5:20am EST
Heading in to work today for a early meeting, I saw what I believe to be a meteor streak across the northern sky. It was about 5:20am, I was near north Smryna. It had a long greenish-yellow tail and was fairly low in the sky as I could see it below the review mirror of my windshield. It then appeared to 'burn out'. While I am no expert, I suspect it fell on the Eastern Coast or not very far from it. - Bill Kennedy (email)
Boston, New York greenish-blue meteor 5:15 am EST 23FEB2011
Spotted it at 5:15 am.It appeared from the western sky and travel east. It was huge, greenish blue, great tail that was orange, yellow and white. At the end it broke off into fragments. Boston,New York
Lansing, Michigan Large Green Meteor 5:15am EST 23FEB2011
My wife and I both saw what we assumed was a meteor at about 5:15 this morning while driving west toward Lansing Michigan. It was large, green and had a yellow tail that went out at about a 3 oclock possition although it moved fairly slow down to horizon. It seemed to appear in the middle of my feild of vision all at once rather than coming accross the sky, almost more like a flair coming down. A coworker of mine also saw it while heading south 20 miles away, although not as clear.
Trenton, NJ, New Jersey 5:15am
I was looking out my dining room window checking on the dog and this burst of fire fell from the sky - it was 5:15am. At first I thought it was fireworks. It was not a quick fall either - i watched it and thought maybe it was an aircraft that exploded in the sky. It was the coolest thing i've ever seen! I've been talking about it all morning. I live in Hamilton Twp., New Jersey.
Karen D.
Warminster, Pennsylvania
I was amazed to see all the sightings at the same time & amazed to see the fire streak in the sky.
I was heading west driving to work about 5:15 & saw a fire streak in the sky that seemed very close & was heading generally north to south. From my view point it may have landed in the south part of Warminster or Warwick, PA (or even Ivyland). It seemed to go out before it went behind the tree line.
I did not see an offical form to fill out on the website, just your email address.
Suzanne Payne
Pennsylvania
Thank you! The AMS report form is here: http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball2/form2.php
Mechanicsburg, Pa Meteor Sighting
I live in Mechanicsburg, Pa and was driving northeast-bound and saw a beautiful fireball inthe northern sky - but the clock in my car read 5:15AM. The object was traveling from west to east. Perhaps it was the same - or a piece from the Vermont sighting.
Dave
Northern Cambria, PA
At approx 05:15, February 23, 2011 I was traveling north west on Rt 410 in Troutville, PA (about 10 miles north of Punxsutawny) and I saw the meteor for about 2 or 3 seconds. It was white/yellow and looked to be burning off. It was biggest one i've seen, I was amazed!
Melissa
Lancaster, PA
I am pretty sure I saw a green meteor this morning between 4:45 and 5:15. I was in my living room facing north and it appeared to come from the west. I am in Lancaster PA. Did I actually see it?
Valerie
Beacon NY 2.23.11 fireball/ meteor sighting
I thought I saw a plane or small craft go down but am now wondering if it was the meteor discussed on your site. It was around 5:25 a.m today 2.23.11.
I was in New York on I-84 (mile marker 47) between the Taconic State Parkway and Rt. 9 (Beacon NY). It was very low, as one person wrote, just below my rear view mirror. It started as a bright white (I think) spot with a falling trajectory in about the 1:00 position from me at about 30 degrees into the sky from my vantage point. It travelled like that for a couple seconds, then seemed to light up (in flames?) for a couple seconds and then go out, all in a falling trajectory similar to that of an aircraft that lost power. I notified local 911 of the event as it was like nothing I had ever seen before in my life. I have been scouring the internet to see if there were any aircraft crashes but after poking around I believe I may have seen this comet.
Is that possible? Forgot to mention, I forgot to mention, it traveled in an almost true south/southwest to North/northeast direction.
-David Carlson Thank you David!
Baltimore, Maryland Green Meteor
Hello, My name is Mike. On my way to work this morning I was driving north on I-95 in Baltimore MD and I saw this bright green ball falling in the northwestern sky. It was 4 - 5 times larger then the North Star. Yellow tail behind it with chunks breaking off of it. I was one of the most coolest things I've ever seen.
Mike
Fairfax, VA
Leanne wrote: Fairfax, VA," Ontario Canada Green Meteor"
At around 5:15am I was driving to work- headed directly North on the Washington DC Beltway- I 495... from Burke, VA headed up to Rockville, MD when I saw the amazing meteor streaming across the sky! I saw it directly in front of me from start to finish- huge beautiful green/white shooting star with a tail that seemed to go across the whole sky. Seemed like it lasted an eternity.... probably 4-5 seconds... went from the northwest corner of my windshield view straight down to the southeast before burning out. I can't believe more people haven't reported it- or seen anything in the news!? The road was busy (as it is everyday at that time) Everyone on the beltway going that direction couldn't have missed it- it was directly in front of us. Just beautiful!
Erdenheim, PA
I was out walking the dog at 5:15 this morning and saw what at first looked like a regular shooting star which turned into something almost comet-like. Bright yellowish green with a long white tail. It was brighter than Venus and lasted about 2-3 seconds. It was amazing.
Melissa - Erdenheim, PA
Charles County, MD
i looked up to see if anyone else saw what I did this morning and came across your blog. you asked if anyone else saw it to please contact you. What I saw seems to coincide with what other people saw.
It was around 5:20 a.m. I was heading North or slightly NorthWest on Route 5 in Charles County, MD. I've never seen meteorite quite like this. It was extremely bright, green and arcing. It seemed to "hang" in the sky and then disintegrated. I've never heard of a bolide, but that appears to be what it is? thanks. -
Cheryl
Philadelphia, PA
meteor seen in northern skies at 5:15 AM in suburbs 40 miles north of Philadelphia
Lansdale, PA green flash 5:15am 2/23
Guest359 (guest) wrote: 5:15am 2/23 a green flash going thruough the sky near Lansdale, pa.
going towards the Quakertown, moving slower than a falling star.
Norfolk, Virginia 23 February 20110515 EST
Never heard of you or your site until I began to research the phenomenon I witnessed this morning. 23 February 20110515 EST Norfolk, Virginia
Heading north on I-64 westbound (which actually runs north/south in Norfolk) this morning at 0515 I noticed a green glow behind a large stand of trees to my left. Seemed to be a strange approach pattern to ORF airport. Then the source of the light emerged: the LARGEST meteor -- and only
GREEN meteor -- I've ever seen, blazing a low arc across the sky from south to north then burning out just short of hitting the horizon. Strange that I've not seen it mentioned in local news...
Monte Pursifull
Virginia Beach, VA
Easton, Maryland 02/23 Meteor
Today is my birthday and I saw the meteor at 5:20 this morning. Like a ball of fire going across the sky with a tail. I live in Denton Maryland but saw this Easton Maryland on my way to work. It seemed to burn out. It was awesome! I have never seen such a sight!
Patricia Spence
Youngstown, Ohio 23FEB2011 at 5:15am
I was driving east on rt 82 on 23FEB2011 at 5:15am and I seen in the northeastern skyline a geen object falling from the sky. I first I thought it might be a plane crashing, but then I figured it must be a falling star or meteorite. It seemed not too far off from where I was. It lasted for just a few seconds and then it appeared to disapear or burn out right before it would have hit the ground. I decided to look it up on the internet to see if anyone else saw it and I came across your website and was surprised to see how far away other people saw it.
Joe Soltis
Youngstown Ohio
Kingsville, OH
I was travelling east on Rte 84 from Kingsville, OH towards PA and seen a huge meteor with a big green tail to the east by north east. It appeared to be traveling from south to north. At 1st I thought it was a flare of some sort because it was so big and bright and appeared rather close. I lost sight of it at about tree top level. A co-worker, who was travelling from Erie, PA, had seen it to the west from where he was. It was the most amazing thing of this sort that I have seen.
Jerry
Brook Park, Ohio, @ approx 5:15am on 2/23/11
I was driving on I480 eastbound, near
Brook Park, Ohio, @ approx 5:15am on 2/23/11...
I first thought maybe I just witness a plane go down, but seen no fire or smoke, then thought maybe it was a falling star. It looked to be in the Northeast area. -
Anon.
Edgewood, Maryland
I too saw it this morning it was a bright blue green color with a long tail and it looked like pieces falling off behind it. It was super fast and lasted for a few seconds. I saw it about 5:15am while driving to work on Rt. 40 in Edgewood, Maryland.
Gus
Detroit, Michigan *****
Interesting. I was in the car this morning (February 23rd) at what I
think was about 5:12 AM EST on the freeway in the northern Detroit
suburbs and saw a spectacular fireball. Greenish, with a very short
trail... maybe 1-2 degrees. I'd put it in the low negative magnitude
range but there wasn't really anything else near it to use as a
reference. I can't be sure but it looked like there might have been
two very closely spaced nuclei, so close that they almost appeared as
one. I was busy driving so I can't give very precise coordinates
other than it was somewhere between south and southeast, and looked
like it was traveling straight down from maybe 45 degrees elevation
to maybe 20 degrees. Took maybe 2-3 seconds from the time I first
saw it to when it extinguished.
I'm pretty sure about the time, so this doesn't seem to coincide with
the 5:25 report.
Anyone else see it?
Paul Goelz
Rochester Hills, Michigan USA
Camp Hill, PA
Hi,at aproxamitly 5:15 this morning (February 23rd 2011) I was on my way to work towards Camp Hill, Pennsylvania on highway 283 West and I happend to see a large green light,when it caught my eye it turned a redish color then completely white then in a suddend second it vanished into the sky. That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life!!I've seen shooting stars before in my lifetime but never like that, that was no doubt not a shooting star. Does anybody know what it was?When I got to when I got to work others were talking about it as well. My co-workers saw it towards highway 83 South about 20 minutes away from where I was. Hope you can answer my question. Thanks for your time and help.
~Carmen~
Albion, New York 5:14 01-23-11
my name is rich bisig from albion ny on 02-23-11 around 5:14 in the morning i was headed to work i was headed south and saw the meteor traveling from west to east.The meteor changed color the head of it was blue then went down to yellow and then orange at the tail and lasted only a few seconds about 3
.I never in my life seen anything like. thanks
Richard Bisig
-------------------------
Brighton Ontario, between Cobourg and Trenton,
I live very close to hwy 30 This morning at approx. 5:10 a.m. I saw blazing ball of fire with a tail, red in color, approx. the size of a soccer ball just above the roof of the house opposite my driveway going in a east/west direction, it looked to me that it landed in the bush behind neighbours house.
Bill Richardson
Kingston Ontario Canada
Meteor or Comet? It was a Bolide!
My friend and I were standing outside in a farm field at 5:30 am est std time near Kingston Ontario Canada and saw the most vivid detailed falling star? Comet? Meteor? Green glowing with white tail very long and even saw fragments breaking off in a moulten orange red. It looked huge to us. Colours of copper in a bonfire. Ut looked to be the size of a softball maybe bigger. Can't believe it. I'm 45 and have never seen anything so breathtaking in real life! It lasted for a long time by comparison to any shooting star I've seen. What exactly is it? It flew out of the western sky on a eastern trajectory on I would guess a 45degree angle to the earth crust. Please reply.
Cutty and Oli
Thank You! It was a large meteor called a bolide.
Kingston, Ontario Meteor 5:15am
I had just wakened about 5:15 when I saw the meteorite in the southern sky. It was extremely bright. I live about 20 km north of 401 at Kingston, Ontario. I haven't seen such a spectacular sight since I was a child (watching the Northern Lights).
Bill and Sandra H.
Michel Levesque wrote:
I saw it at 5:14AM. I was on highway 30 toward Montreal (going south). It was quite fast 2-4 sec, it disapeared about 1-2 second and then a blue flash over Montreal downtown (direction only...flash probably means explosion into the air).
Montréal, Canada Meteor 5:15am EST 23FEB2011
Dominique Leduc wrote:
Hi i see the météorite from Montréal at 5:15 am exactely....
I see the météorite from Montréal at 5:15 am... I'm french, it's hard to write in english..
Bon et bien moi, non plus je n'avais jamais rien vu de parreil...impresionnant Vous croyez que ça touché le sol quelque part ?? C'était assez gros pour que j'aie l'impression que ça tombait à Montréal...c'était comme une boule de feu et je l'ai vu environ 2 3 secondes, ce qui est assez long
Barrie, Ontario Meteor 5:15am
I saw it in Barrie, Ontario at around 5:15am on my way to work. The ball looked yellowish and the tail was more golden red (if that makes sense). It was travelling at huge speed and I only saw it for about 2-3 seconds. Amazing sight.
Ed
Belwood, Ontario 05:16am EST 23FEB2011
I saw the meteor [ite] this morning whilst travelling to work. I was going SE on county rd. 26 just south of
Belwood, Ontario at 05:16. It flashed across from right to left and I saw it for probably less than 1 second. It appeared to have a
bright green head and a sparkling white tail and broke up in a shower of sparks.
Regards,
Martyn
Barrie to Toronto down the 400
.I saw this on the way to work about the same time - 5:25
Was driving from Barrie to Toronto down the 400 and saw it trail from West to East then break up - was a nice one. Seen many before and this was in the top 10 that I have had the privilege to witness. Was there any recording taking of this - photo or video?? None yet.Thank you; JG. "Greg" Forrester, Ind. Eng.
Mississauga, Ontario
I was given your contact information regarding something I saw this morning. I know that it was early and could have been tired but this really woke me up when I saw it.
This morning at about 5:10 am I was driving south on Argentia near Meadowvale Go Station in Mississauga. I saw this large ball with a orange/red/yellow tail flying through the air.
Have you heard or seen or had anything reported about this? I would very interest in what I saw this morning. If you can provide me with some information, photos anything about what I could have seen I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your attention regarding this.
Sincerely,
Sue S.
Sue, All of the info that I have is posted on this site. Thanks!
Toronto, Ontario
it looked like it was going east.
Matt Snyder
Lindsay, Ontario, 5:15am
I just received an email from my DH describing a massive bright green meteor(ite) that he saw on his way to work this morning heading out of town. Lindsay, Ontario, 5:15am, southern skies.
TH
Sighting Montreal
I was on highway 40 west-bound when I saw the ball of fire(yellow, red and with trail). I looked at my watch and saw that it was 05:15 AM. The direction it was taking was towards the western part of town(south-west on the compass) at a downwards trajectory. It was approx. 30 degrees from the horizon at it’s peek and disappeared before reaching the city skyline. I was inside a car with the music on so I could not tell if any noise was made by the object. When I arrived at work (Commercial Vehicles officer/State Police), one of my partners mentioned he had seen the event and could see parts of the object drop away from the main ball of fire. I have seen many shooting stars, mostly during the august persied showers, but I can say that this was an object of much bigger volume and slower velocity.
S.Morgan
Oshawa, ON Canada
5:19am- The sky was black as I drove along Harmony Road to the 401 Highway and as I crossed the bridge,I saw at the corner of my eye a very bright light that looked almost like a star on a Christmas Tree and it appeared to be falling from the sky, then suddenly I saw this light horizontally(west heading east) zooming like a rocket with such speed and I was mesmerized by the beauty of this strange happening. The ball was a beautiful emerald green,zooming past my windshield and I felt like I could reach out and touch it with my naked hand. It was a thing of beauty, magnificent in its glory. I have never seen anything like it and possibly never will again. Imagine this sight against the backdrop of the black sky. It took my breath away! I saw the light trail behind so crystal clear and then, as suddenly as it appeared I saw it change to something like a huge light bulb and POOF! as suddenly as it came, it disappeared. This is something that I will never forget. I have the ability to draw and I will capture this image in my head on canvas and hope that I can paint it one day so that my family and friends can see what I so, unexpectedly witnessed at 5:19am today, Feb 23rd 2011.
J.Z.Ackloo
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 05:16 EST, 2011/02/23 *****
I am an amateur astronomer, living in the Montreal region. While driving to work on the autoroute 640 (westbound, just before the junction for autoroute 13) at 5:16 EST(+- 1 min), I saw a very bright meteor low on the horizon (about 10 degrees above the horizon) and almost exactly aligned with the portion of the road I was driving on (about 213 degrees azimuth relative to geographic north, according to a protactor measurement of a GoogleEarth mat on my computer screen). It burnt over a period of about 2 to 3 seconds, with gradual increase and decay of the brightness. It had a long tail. The movement was exceptionally slow, starting from the upper-right going toward the lower-left of my field of view with a trajectory pitch of about 30 degrees (rough estimate) relative to the horizon (heading toward "8 o'clock"). This means that I was probably seeing it almost in-line with it's trajectory. If someone else (preferably many) has an azimut to provide, we could find the approximative location of the meteor by triangulation.
Michel Daigneault
Miller Lake, ON Canada
I saw a meteor fireball between 5:15 to 5:30 am in Tobermory Ontario Canada. Came down Eastward very rapidly and then dissipated quickly.
W Morton
Ottawa, Ontario
Saw it this morning at approx 0520 in Ottawa Ontario coming from the NE heading SE, lost behind buildings as it decended. The flame was greenish with a white core, lasted about 2 - 4 seconds from my vision point.
Graham Mansell
Belwood, Ontario at 05:16
I saw the meteorite this morning whilst travelling to work. I was going SE on county rd. 26 just south of Belwood, Ontario at 05:16. It flashed across from right to left and I saw it for probably less than 1 second. It appeared to have a bright green head and a sparkling white tail and broke up in a shower of sparks.
Regards.
Martyn
Peterborough, Ontario Meteor prior to 5:30pm 23FEB2011
It was Feb.23 just before 5:30 a.m. Peterborough is 60 miles north east of Toronto, Canada, Ontario. I was on hwy 115 and the object was traveling low across the sky from west to east. I've just been reading some of the other people's e-mails to you and one thing that someone said stood out - as it seemed to do for that person, it also seemed to me that it just 'appeared' all at once. That is, I didn't see it coming from a distance or anything. It was just suddenly 'there' in my windshield. Please keep me informed of any more developments. Thanks.
Garry White
Mascouche, Quebec
Guest316 (guest): 5:10am 23/2/11 Mascouche,Quebec
Shawville, Quebec 5:15am
I saw it around 5:15 am while driving to work on Highway 303 which is a country road outside
Shawville Quebec. Being out in the countryside, I saw it for a few seconds and saw small pieces falling off it. Amazing! -Anon
If anyone else saw this, got a video or photo please email me: LunarMeteoriteHunter@gmail.com
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