2012-07-02 - Renton, WA - Fireball

EASTBOUND FIREBALL

FIREBALL on 01JUL2012 ((sic. 02JL12)) @ 23:51HRS

From my home in Renton, WA I observed a “fireball” about 1/6 size of the full moon, but larger than a star. It moved slowly from the west to the east, soundless and flickering. At first I had thought that it might be a meteor but it was under the cloud cover and going about the speed compared to a larger jet at 30,000ft. I first noticed it almost straight up and slightly south. I called my wife out to see as well.

As it continued on, total of 90-120seconds, I looked for the red,green and white lights usually found on aircraft and saw none. To me it looked like what a campfire would look like from a distance, only flying. As it descended off into the east, disappearing either into the cloud cover or just vanishing, my wife noted that it had split off into 2 balls and appeared to have something connecting them. I had noticed that when closer it seemed to have an orb of some sort around it, but that could have been like what you would see around a fire, hazy kind of orb, not sure how to describe it.

We live 10 miles from Seatac Int'l Airport and 3 miles from the Renton Airport so we are not strangers to aircraft, shortly after this fireball disappeared, a jetliner crossed over head, above the cloud cover and I could hear it clearly. As with the smaller craft, they can be heard for a time before and after visual contact is made. This ball made NO sound at all. Why I didn't think to take a picture is beyond me.

Here is the info from the National Weather Service:

1 Jul 11:53 pm PDT WINDS :WNW SPEED: 7 VISIBILITY: 9.00

I haven't yet been able to get the cloud cover elevation, but they were low, this morning they are high and the jetliners are at their usual elevation heading N, as they always do. Last night they were above the cover.

With the winds WNW and this thing heading damn near dead on east, I'm ruling out a Chinese balloon my friends keep trying to convince me it is.


((NUFORC Note: We spoke via telephone with this witness, and he sounded to us to be quite responsible. We have corrected the date above. The sighting occurred on Monday night, July 02, 2012, the witness reports. PD))