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Remarks |
This meteor was hard to estimate due to the fact the sky was completely cloudy with no planets visible when I observed it but the moon was estimated to be at about -10 magnitude from its current phase. The object probably exploded as there appeared to be an intensity increase before losing sight of it. It did light up the clouds along its path eventually ending above and to the east of the moon. It appears to be a Quadrantid Radiant. I have a picture taken within a minuet or two of the sighting which occurred at about 6:29 am this morning Monday January 4, 2016, in which you can see the moon, immersed in clouds to emphasize how restricted visibility was at the time of the sighting. Since the sky was so cloudy it is impossible to estimate the meteors true apparent magnitude.
Looking at Stellarium, which is free planetarium software; I can see the meteor crossed the sky from Bootes into Virgo where the moon was located.
Having seen thousands of meteors in my 50 years of observing, including a daytime fireball this is the first one I have ever witnessed in such a cloudy sky. Again it must have been very bright to see in these conditions. The object was swift and without sound. I'd like to say it may have been at least - 5 magnitude but without any stars or planets to compare it too I can't even attempt to make an accurate guess. It was not as bright as the moon was but sure was magnificent. It will be interesting to see if something shows up on an all sky camera in the tri-state area!!
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