Re: Unidentified Object over Norfolk

Tony Beresford (starman@camtech.net.au)
Sat, 17 Apr 1999 13:52:10 +0930

At 10:30 17/04/99 , Bob Jones wrote:
>Hi, need help on a UFO, please.

>Today I talked with a person in Newport News, VA who actually saw the
>thing from -76.442 and 37.049. She said it had a constant, bright
>greenish glow with a visible train.  It traveled from (approx) SouthWest
>to SouthEast about level with the ground the whole time, just above the
>trees. It remained visible for about 10 seconds or more before
>disappearing behind the trees. She was certain it was not a meteor.
>The station received reports from Yorktown, VA to Ahoskie, NC.
>Any ideas what this could have been? Space debris?
>-Bob Jones
Bob, it WAS a meteor probably a sporadic one, not related to any shower.
The only 2 recent re-entrys of size enough to be noticeable,
were around 10:07EDT April 14, and 20:55EDT April 15. Both were large
second stage rocket bodies, a Centaur and a delta respectively. Both
had 25 degree orbits which makes visibility at 37N impossible.
If it was slowness that lead the observer to dismiss the meteor explanation
they are just showing inexperience with the phenomena. W-E meteors in the evening are catching up with the Earth, they can be slow, and long lasting.
Tony Beresford
Adelaide, So. Australia
(34.96S, 138.6333E)