The only additional comment that I would make is that this was the brightest and most amazing meteor that I have ever seen. I have been watching the sky casually for years and truly thought that it was a plane or satellite crashing because it appeared so close and bright. It had a very long, bright tail like a flare that separated into 3 or 4 pieces and eventually they all disappeared.
Location
Address
San Jose, CA
Latitude
37° 17' 50.91'' N (37.297476°)
Longitude
121° 58' 13.47'' W (-121.970408°)
Elevation
-
Time and Duration
Local Date & Time
2012-10-17 19:50 PDT
UT Date & Time
2012-10-18 02:50 UT
Duration
≈3.5s
Direction
Moving direction
From right to left
Descent Angle
270°
Moving
Facing azimuth
287.13797°
First azimuth
287.3269°
First elevation
35°
Last azimuth
288.12888°
Last elevation
30°
Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude
-13
Color
bright white and fading t
Concurrent Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Delayed Sound
Observation
No
Remarks
-
Persistent train
Observation
Yes
Duration
2s
Length
8°
Remarks
smoky with yellowish halo effect; it appeared as the meteor broke into chunks and then disappeared.
Terminal flash
Observation
No
Remarks
As it traveled across the sky it broke into 3 or 4 large pieces. I believe it started with a bright flash or burst of light which got my attention. Then traveled across the sky breaking into 3 or 4 pieces and eventually disappearing.
