2008-11-07 - Bangor, ME - Fireball

Fireball or "Flash-ball" maneuvers at low altitude - as seen and heard from backyard

I almost hesitate to make this brief sighting an actual report, but the more we have the better – I suppose. I was standing in my backyard having a smoke at roughly 21:20:00 on November 7th, 2008 when the sighting occurred. It was a very clear night – I cannot remember the moon’s status but it was nowhere near the anomaly. While looking to the north I saw what could best be described as a “flash ball”, or like that of a striking match head (completely white or VERY light yellow in color), streak across the sky above my apartment building. I would have immediately felt fortunate to witness a shooting star or meteor but after traveling about 200-300ft it sharply veered off at an angle – basically flying slightly up and towards the left an additional 75-100ft before the fireball immediately disappeared. The “flash ball” lasted 3-5 seconds and completed the described path in as much time. It created a trail of smoke or exhaust that drew its path in the sky - yet this smoke was only visible in the light of the fireball. I thought that I could make out a dark shape that continued along the same trajectory as the fireball vanished, but much faster – but in all objective honesty my brain could very well have just assumed a continuation of movement. The whole event was over in seconds. It appeared to be very low altitude, I think too low for a shooting star or comet/meteor. I estimate it was only 350 to 500 feet in the air. Very low, and I could hear a noise – but it did not sound like a flare or firework, close as I can come to describing the noise is a short whistle or an oscillated beep. The brevity of the experience makes description difficult, but it was like a noise my computer from the late 80s would make. There is most likely a plausible explanation for this sighting - like a meteor hitting Wonder Woman’s invisible jet and bouncing off at the angle – but I felt like the maneuver would otherwise be unlikely for natural phenomenon.