12/16/2019: Gainesville, FL, USA

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National UFO Reporting Center Sighting Report
Occurred : 12/16/2019 19:13 (Entered as : 12/16/19 19:13) Reported: 12/16/2019 9:43:31 PM 21:43 Posted: 12/19/2019 Location: Gainesville, FL Shape: Fireball Duration: 4 minutes Characteristics: There were lights on the object, The object left a trail, The object changed color
We saw a very slowly-moving light with a long, fiery tail. It changed color and direction. My girlfriend and I had just stepped out of my apartment to go out shopping. My apartment faces East and as soon as I stepped out, I noticed a point of light in the distance, with an illuminated tail behind it, moving very slowly. At first I thought it might be a flying lantern or a fire kite, but that did not explain the trail, which looked somewhat like a bolide except that it was taking so long to dissipate, and so long to move. It appeared to change color after the trail disappeared, going from orange for the first couple minutes, to whitish with no tail, to dimming until we lost sight. I could not get a picture because of the security light in my complex, which would easily bleach out the image. I could very easily indicate the precise area of sky we were observing, since we were only a few feet from my front door. Neither of us was drinking or under any other influence. I'm sure there is a simple explanation for what we saw, but we do not know what that could be.

National UFO Reporting Center Sighting Report

Occurred : 12/16/2019 19:13 (Entered as : 12/16/19 19:13)
Reported: 12/16/2019 9:43:31 PM 21:43
Posted: 12/19/2019
Location: Gainesville, FL
Shape: Fireball
Duration: 4 minutes
Characteristics: There were lights on the object, The object left a trail, The object changed color

We saw a very slowly-moving light with a long, fiery tail. It changed color and direction.

My girlfriend and I had just stepped out of my apartment to go out shopping. My apartment faces East and as soon as I stepped out, I noticed a point of light in the distance, with an illuminated tail behind it, moving very slowly. At first I thought it might be a flying lantern or a fire kite, but that did not explain the trail, which looked somewhat like a bolide except that it was taking so long to dissipate, and so long to move. It appeared to change color after the trail disappeared, going from orange for the first couple minutes, to whitish with no tail, to dimming until we lost sight. I could not get a picture because of the security light in my complex, which would easily bleach out the image.

I could very easily indicate the precise area of sky we were observing, since we were only a few feet from my front door. Neither of us was drinking or under any other influence.

I'm sure there is a simple explanation for what we saw, but we do not know what that could be.