Email From:
Anonymous-Sarasota, FL:
Huge falling star, 8/11/2011 about 10:40PM or a couple minutes later. Fell straight down, saw it looking west from Sarasota, Florida a lot of green with orange sparks near the end, I thought it was going to hit and I'd see a huge explosion!
thanks for your report!
Mike W.-Naples, FL:
Sighted it approx 10 pm Florida time, from Vanderbilt beach in Naples FL
Very bright, long tail lasted approx 3 seconds, fell straight down.
Regards, Mike W
thank you Mike!
Matt B.-Orlando FL:
Location: Orlando International Airport
Time: 22:37 (I looked at my work clock right away) Date 8/11/2011
Direction Witnessed: It was due West of me , maybe a few degrees South
Meteor Angle of descent: If I was looking at a clock, it came down at the 5 o'clock angle (left to right)
Color: orange, kind of burning up with some haze around it
Duration: maybe about 3 seconds, but I can't say that I saw the beginning of it. I did not see it burn out. It dissapeared behind distant trees. There was no explosion or impact flash. I would bet some stuff hit the ground however.
Size: it was about as big as a car's headlight viewed from 300 yards away
I was sitting in my chair at work facing West and saw this through the window. I did not hear any noise.
outstanding fireball report Matt. Thank you!
An Anonymous Witness-Melbourne, FL:
My son and I were in Melbourne, FL driving east; at first thought it was a falling star but it was huge - a round. almost oval shape. It started out bright white and as it fell closer to Earth it turned a glowing orange before it appeared to break apart. We looked at the clock in the car immediately - it was 10:30 p.m. Thanks to this site we now know what it was...pretty spectacular to witness; never seen anything like it!
thanks for further confirmation!
Jeff N.-Zephyrhills FL:
AUG. 11 2011 just around 10:30ish 11:00 pm
I was on my pourch on the phone, facing west stairing staight at the blue star getting bigger and, moveing what seemed to be almost striaght down. I saw it from just befor it got a tail for just a second. then the long orange red tail and very long appeared. their looked to be a little gap between the tail and blue ball. it fell out of sight behind the tree line across the pasture. the whole event mabey 10 secounds it was so bright like a military night light flare or beacon like you see on TV. I really thought i would hear it hit. I jumped in the truck and drove to where i thought it should of hit. physicaly it looked large like a 55 gal barrel and the tail a quarter of the sky behind it.
I have seen alot off shooting stars and meteors and, this looked like nothing i had ever seen befor almost like if i could see details of it i could not see details but very cool . where did it come down at?
Andy C.-Destin, FL:
From observation point, we saw it overhead at aprox halfway between 10-11 oclock position, and it streaked across most of the sky burning out at aprox halfway between 10-11oclock postion. As we picked it up, we saw a very large fireball looking like a large firework, aprox 1/3 the size of the (almost full-moon at that time). Large firey head and long tail, the main fireball did not look well formed, it was quite flattened and had several fingers of flames. Color was orange/red. The fireball burned across most of the sky and appeared to burn out aprox 2 fingers (at arms length) above the horizon.
No pictures, but wish we did, it was the largest fireball we have seen by far. Good luck.
Regards, Andy from Texas.
Calvin D.-Mobile, AL:
I agree almost the same as Andy C. of Destin, Fl. report. I was riding East at approximately 9:45 PM CST and saw it falling from about 11 o'clock position toward a south, south easterly direction . Very large head or ball and long firey tail . Very , Very brightorange and some greenish tint. The largest,brightest and most colorful meteor that I have ever seen in my 70 odd years.
Calvin D., Mobile,Al.
Steve V.-Brandon, FL:
Last night, Thursday the 11th of Aug.,2011, I was driving on Hwy 60, Brandon, Florida around 10:36pm when I witness a bright whiteness flash in the Western hemisphere, then the meteor’s reddish hot tail disappeared as it entered the atmosphere. It was awesome!
Steve V. AKA the_Christian
Josiah-Branford, FL:
We were driving south from Branford FL on hwy 349 around 10.30 yesterday 8-11-11 ,when we saw this fire ball to our left (east) flying from north to south. Size looked about ¼ size of a full moon. Started out fiery red, orange, then turned bright green before several smaller pieces broke off and it disappeared behind the trees in front of us still to our left. First saw it behind us at about 20 to 30 degrees high in the horizon, lasted bout 3 seconds before disappearing as though it might make it a ways south.
Hope this is interesting,
Josiah
Jodi M.-Dunnellon, FL:
My husband and I saw it about 10:30pm. It went over the house then strait into the ground just WSW of our location. We saw a huge red and yellow explosion but never heard a sound or felt anything. It came from the NW side headed WSW it had a huge long orange tail then it appeared to crash down close by from the sight of the explosion it lasted maybe 5 seconds then impact and the flash. The flash of light look like an red/orange/yellow bowl.
Gaye-Seminole, FL:
Witnessed a large object falling sw to nw with long, slow trail of bright orange and green, appeared to be falling into gulf. As it got closer to horizon, it went behind a cloud creating a bright flash of light as if lightening or explosion occurred. There was no sound. It was so large and slow moving, at first I thought it might be a plane crash. It was not like anything I have seen before when viewing shooting stars or meteor showers. The size, pace and brilliance was awesome.
Melody & Bruce C.-Deerpoint Reservoir, FL:
Hi -- I found the reports on your website of the fireball seen on 8/11/11. I also saw it. I live in the Bayhead area on the NE shore of Deerpoint Reservoir, north of Panama City and SW of Youngstown, FL. It was approximately 9:40pm Central, and I can pinpoint the direction exactly because I was watching TV on my couch, and saw it through a small window 20 feet from my position. I can take a compass heading directly from this vantage point...which interestingly is precisely due south. I imagine with the number of reports from the Florida peninsula, a fairly accurate position could be triangulated. It must have fallen into the Gulf.
The size of the object was approximately that of a dime held at arm's length, and it left a ragged trail of fire as it fell (disintegrating pieces?), from roughly an 11:30 position towards a 5:30 clock position. I'm guessing that the trail would be 2" long if a ruler were held at arm's length. It was very bright, and the color a deep yellow, almost orange. The length of time I saw it was disappointingly short -- perhaps half a second. It disappeared quickly at this low angle, and there are trees and a neighbor's house in that line of sight, so what the object did before I was able to see it, or after it disappeared, I can't say.
Bruce C
John E.-Unknown Location, FL:
Hi,I just accidentally stumbled across reports about the "Aug 11" Florida meteor while reading about the Perseid's shower. Just want to mention that I think I saw the meteor too, though my observations seems to differ some from some of the reports others made. I’ve actually been wondering what I saw for the last couple of days.
I saw a bright, whitish circle which didn’t change colors, It was maybe 1/3 the size of moon (dime sized, arm extended) and it zipped across the northern sky for maybe a second. I was facing north at the time and saw it at an angle above the horizon of around 70 or -80 degrees, I guess. it moved right to left (east to west) from apx 2 O’Clock to 10 O’clock. There was no tail, no visible debris, and no sound. The oddest thing that struck me is that it just disappeared rather than going to the horizon. It’s possible though that a cloud obscured it as it went west. It was quite bright, but more the brightness of the moon. Unfortunately I don’t know the exact time since I didn’t have my watch or cellphone with me. I am guessing it was between 12:30 and 1:00 AM eastern time. (which would make the observation for the early morning of 8/12). It could have been as early as 23:30 though, It was late and I was walking the dog before going to bed. Regarding the color and brightness, I'm wondering if I saw it through a thin cover of clouds which might have washed out the color and hid the tail. Like I said, it looked to me like a whitish circle, If it helps to triangulate the object, my location is Tampa, Florida. Any info you can share about this would help satisfy my curiosity about this. It was a very exciting thing to see, even if it was so fast.
John
Leslie F.-On The Road, FL Panhandle:
The night of August 11 I was traveling between Destin, FL and Panama City Beach, FL heading east on Highway 98 and saw a huge fireball falling from the sky. Looking out the passenger side window the ball fell from the top left towards bottom right. It was incredibly bright with a tail behind it. The ball was a brilliant green as it broke apart and disappeared. From my view it looked at least half the size of the moon. It was the largest thing I'd ever seen fall from the sky.
Leslie F
Dewey V.-St. Augustine, FL:
I too witnessed this meteor on August 11th, around 10:30pm from St Augustine Florida, and have been wondering if anyone else saw it...DUH!!!!
I was bright orange and stood out very brightly against a full moon, appeared to be traveling NE to SW passing low and bright.
From The ELPALLSKY Chatbox:
Aug 11 2011, 9:05 PM Megan (guest):
location: winter garden, fl time: approx 10:30 pm location: driving south it appeared to be falling from the south to northeast color: at first orange then suddenly to bright green with long tail lasting approx. 5 sec until it disappeared behind some trees
Aug 13 2011, 2:21 PM: Duane Daniell-Venice, FL:
8/11/2011 10:36 PM ET Very bright fireball NW of me going from W to N. Bright orange almost looked to be falling in the Gulf.
***If you are searching for information about this fireball and witnessed it, please leave a report of what you saw at wxtx01@gmail.com Please include the date and time, the direction you were facing/driving, the direction in which the object moved (upper left to lower right etc.) approximate size and brightness compared to a full moon, color, any flashes, streaks, fragmentation and any sounds or delayed sounds such as sonic booms, hisses, sizzles etc. Thank you! Your information is vital to research/recovery efforts so please take time to report.*** 
