NUFORC Sighting 86955

Occurred: 2012-02-01 20:00 Local
Reported: 2012-02-01 19:54 Pacific
Duration: 10 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Austin, TX, USA

Shape: Fireball
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

Bright green fireball with long bright green tail streaks across the sky.

Between 7:50 pm and 8:10 pm on the night of Feb 1st 2012, I witnessed UFO in Austin, TX.

Physical appearance: A bright green fireball with a long bright green tail. The fireball was much bigger than any star but smaller than the moon. The tail was almost as bright – and just as green – as the fireball. There was no trail.

Length of time: I witnessed it for five or ten seconds. Long enough to realize it wasn’t a flare or fireworks because it never dissipated. Eventually, it went beyond the horizon (tall trees about a block away). I did not see it decrease in brightness.

Trajectory: I was facing north. The fireball was heading northeast. It seemed to be moving downward at a small angle, from my perspective about 25 degrees. It appeared to be moving away from me, so it’s hard to tell if it was actually falling towards the earth. Basically, I saw it move across the northern sky until it disappeared beyond the treetops.

Location: I was at an outdoor seating area of a food trailer park on the 2200 block of East Cesar Chavez Street in Austin, TX. About a mile and a half east of downtown and about four miles northwest of the airport.

About a minute after I witnessed this, a low-flying helicopter zoomed overhead, from the direction of the airport, going in the exact direction I witnessed the fireball. This might be a coincidence because I was relatively close to the airport. I’m confident of the time because I was on the phone when I saw it, and the time given above is from the call history. There were about eight other people eating in this area, (along with some kitchen workers in the various food trailers) and two performing musicians. Nobody else saw the fireball as they were all watching the musicians or working.

NUFORC Note:

Probable meteor, we suspect. Video suggests a meteor to us. PD

Posted 2012-02-03