Fireball report

Reports Report 840a (Event 840-2024)

Observer
Name	Dennis D
Experience Level	3/5
Remarks	It was the brightest fireball that I've ever seen and as I said it reminded me of a reentering space vehicle disintegrating beyond the Horizon.

Location
Address	Alto Boquete, Chiriquí Province (PA)
Latitude	8° 40' 25.3'' N (8.673695°)
Longitude	82° 27' 13.48'' W (-82.453744°)
Elevation	704.00238m

Time and Duration
Local Date & Time	2024-01-12 04:30 EST
UT Date & Time	2024-01-12 09:30 UT
Duration	≈45s

Direction
Moving direction	From up left to down right
Descent Angle	106°

Moving
Facing azimuth	270°
First azimuth	270°
First elevation	40°
Last azimuth	45°
Last elevation	-

Brightness and color
Stellar Magnitude	-13
Color	White

Concurrent Sound
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Delayed Sound
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Persistent train
Observation	Unknown
Duration	-
Length	-
Remarks	-

Terminal flash
Observation	No
Remarks	-

Fragmentation
Observation	Yes
Remarks	It started as a bright flash in the western sky. As it passed over it started disintegrating into multiple fragments and continued on until it disappeared beyond the Horizon. It looked exactly like a reentering space vehicle disintegrating, similar to videos of the Space shuttle disintegrating into multiple fragments each fragment burning on its own. My girlfriend and I both expected to hear it it the ground just beyond the mountain range NE of our location.

Fragmentation

Observation

Yes

Remarks

It started as a bright flash in the western sky. As it passed over it started disintegrating into multiple fragments and continued on until it disappeared beyond the Horizon. It looked exactly like a reentering space vehicle disintegrating, similar to videos of the Space shuttle disintegrating into multiple fragments each fragment burning on its own. My girlfriend and I both expected to hear it it the ground just beyond the mountain range NE of our location.