Flashing yellow/white presumed fireball in SW sky
It was midnight or just after. I was outside with my 2 dogs doing potty break. We live within earshot of Sea-Tac Intl. airport; about 5 miles ENE. An aircraft was departing and the engine noise was what I thought to be a bit louder than normal. In hindsight, it was throttle-up at the beginning of his roll for a northerly departure.
In looking up, an occulting light caught my eye. It was a bit whiter than a high pressure sodium street light an seemed to flash on and off about ever 1.5 seconds for an on an off cycle. The "on" cycle was about twice as long as the off. When I first looked up I was facing nearly due west. If you make west 12 o'clock, I first noticed what I believe a fireball, about a point (the width of a closed fist across the knuckles) above and west of the 3/4 waxing moon. The object was traveling roughly the same path the moon will follow as it drops towards the western horizon.
The object was not streaking like a shooting star and there as no tail. It was moving slow enough that when it passed behind the neighboring house to the south of mine I was able to take 3.steps to my right to see more of the trajectory as it cleared the neighbors. The flashing was not strobe like but more akin to a flashing red street light. I did wonder if it might be an aircraft plunging out of the ! sky because the departing jet from Sea-Tac had not cleared the tree line yet and was still significant just after the object dropped out of sight the aircraft emerged climbing out to the north.
I did do a little hunker down waiting for some results but nothing occurred. I stayed out for a few more minutes observing the general area of the sky this all happened in.
It was midnight or just after. I was outside with my 2 dogs doing potty break. We live within earshot of Sea-Tac Intl. airport; about 5 miles ENE. An aircraft was departing and the engine noise was what I thought to be a bit louder than normal. In hindsight, it was throttle-up at the beginning of his roll for a northerly departure.
In looking up, an occulting light caught my eye. It was a bit whiter than a high pressure sodium street light an seemed to flash on and off about ever 1.5 seconds for an on an off cycle. The "on" cycle was about twice as long as the off. When I first looked up I was facing nearly due west. If you make west 12 o'clock, I first noticed what I believe a fireball, about a point (the width of a closed fist across the knuckles) above and west of the 3/4 waxing moon. The object was traveling roughly the same path the moon will follow as it drops towards the western horizon.
The object was not streaking like a shooting star and there as no tail. It was moving slow enough that when it passed behind the neighboring house to the south of mine I was able to take 3.steps to my right to see more of the trajectory as it cleared the neighbors. The flashing was not strobe like but more akin to a flashing red street light. I did wonder if it might be an aircraft plunging out of the ! sky because the departing jet from Sea-Tac had not cleared the tree line yet and was still significant just after the object dropped out of sight the aircraft emerged climbing out to the north.
I did do a little hunker down waiting for some results but nothing occurred. I stayed out for a few more minutes observing the general area of the sky this all happened in.
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South Seattle
USA
5-7 seconds
5-7 seconds
fireball
WA
Occurred : 7/10/2014 00:01 (Entered as : 07/10/14 00:01) Reported: 7/10/2014 12:38:04 AM 00:38 Posted: 7/11/2014 Location: South Seattle, WA Shape: Fireball Duration: 5-7 seconds
Flashing yellow/white presumed fireball in SW sky.