UPDATE...Large Fireball Tucson AZ 22:55:26 MST 14MAY2011 Image Acquired...Rocks On The Ground? Tucson Hunters Alert !!

 Tucson AZ 14MAY2011 22:55:26 MST Image From MMT Observatory-Mt Hopkins, AZ

image courtesy MMTO Mt. Hopkins AZ-click image to enlarge

Initial Landfall Estimations For Canadian Bolide Of 14MAY2011

From ELPALLSKY-16MAY2011:

Finnish Meteor Physics Expert Esko Lyytinen Calculates Initial Impact Area Of Canadian Bolide Based On Single Camera Solution

I have some rough one-station results, based on fitting to mutually timed observations. This means that the direction of entry will be got from the angular velocity changes. ( Also the deceleration is from this, but the deceleration affects mostly near the end, and can be got as separate at least roughly in good instances.)
The whole track must be scaled by getting a resonable start height.
The entry velocity of 22 km/s would correspond the start height of 86 km. The end, behind clouds, but allready dimming fast, is got at 19 kilometers.
It arrived from az direction 17 with the slope of 39 degrees. I expect the accuracy of these to be a few degrees ( if I did the star identifications correctly).
This would mean a good size meteorite down. It would have fallen very roughly about 60 km to the SW of the camera station. But I would hope that some other camera also captured this.
Regards,
Esko

Initial Impact Area AB-BC Bolide 14MAY2011 (c)2011 ELPALLSKY & Google Earth

UPDATE...Edmond OK Multiple Meteor Fireballs 14MAY2011 Source Revealed...

Emails From:

Ashley In Edmond OK:
HI,  My family and I and watched something in the sky last night at approx 9:30 pm last night. We saw a total of 7 fireballs. 2 first which seems like they paralleled each other then one single fireball. Then 3 more (which we have on video)  followed by one more. Each lasted approx 30-45 seconds and seemed to be orange- yellow color with a definite bright red on the top. I live in Edmond, Oklahoma and they falling/ flying from northeast to south west. I'm very interested in finding out what exactly these objects were. THANKS for any insight you can provide.

Ashley, seems we've discovered the source of your fireballs...

From Linda In Edmond OK:

Hi Ashley,

Do you live in Settlers Crossing or Southerly Farms neighborhoods?  I believe what you saw was my daughter's 14th birthday celebration launch of Chinese Sky Lanterns. 

Search YouTube for video and see if this is perhaps looks like what you saw. Date and time of sighting fit with our launch.  There were 11 of them, green, orange, pink purple, yellow and blue.

Linda   

thank you for coming forward Linda. Congrats to your daughter! Ashley, you can sleep now.

First Of 2 Tucson AZ Fireballs 14MAY2011

Emails From:

Steve, Lisa & Jenna G.-Tucson AZ:
Wanted to let you know Lisa, Jenna and myself witnessed the “Tucson Fireball” night before last. We were out walking at dusk and saw a bright flash out of the corner of our eyes.  In the northern sky at about 30 degrees we saw a meteor that lasted approximately 4 to 5 seconds and broke into two distinct pieces as the flames diminished.  The path seemed to be towards the southeast.  I would call it a brilliant white with a bit of blue to it.  We did not observe any sounds.  I opened my phone and recorded the time to be exactly 2000hrs mountain standard time.  A very punctual rock.   thank you Steve, Lisa and Jenna...fine example of a good fireball report!

Rosella T. In Tucson AZ:
Hi.  It was Saturday night around 8 pm on May 14, 2011 that I was out on my north facing balcony here in Tucson, AZ, when I saw a huge fireball.  It seemed to be very close and about the size of a compact car.  It was bright yellow and it seemed to have a red ring in between the ball and its long tail.  It was going horizontally from west to east and was not high up in the sky.  I saw it clearly because it was not going extremely fast.  It got lost behind trees and I turned to look at the moon and it seemed that this fireball was a lot closer in proximity than the moon.  What was this fireball?? 

From The Chatbox:

Jamie (guest): My husband and I both saw what looked like a meteor/fireball last night. We were in the center of the Tempe campus of ASU and were looking up and to the east. It looked so huge that my husband commented that it looked like it could have landed in Apache Junction. It was almost exactly at 8pm when we saw it.

AZ Meteor Fireball 14MAY2011 Captured By ELPALLSKY And Mexico Sentinel All Sky Cameras

Numerous Emails & Internet Inquiries Indicate Fireball Event In Arizona 14MAY2011...Captured By Sandia Sentinel Camera (ELPALLSKY) EL PASO, TX And Hermosillo Mexico  05:55:13 UTC 15MAY2011 (11:55:13 p.m. MDT 14MAY2011-10:55:13 p.m. MST)

Observation From John G. In Tucson, AZ:

Copy of a fireball report sent 05/15/11 4:03 PM to
International Meteor Organization (IMO)
Fireball Report Form
http://www.imo.net/fireball/report

Date, Time and Location:
Date : 2011 May 14
Time: : 22:55:00 MST
Location : Tucson AZ USA Pima county
Longitude: 110° 49' 20.64" West
Latitude : 32° 8' 11.76" North
 

Fireball Parameters:
Apparent path earth-based coordinates
Beginning point elevation: 40°
Beginning point azimuth : 290°
Ending point elevation : 30°
Ending point azimuth : 340°

Description:
Comparison with brightness of full moon: Brighter than full moon
Duration:: 3 seconds
Color(s): white only
Trail: yes
Fragmentation: no
Persistent Train: yes
Angular Velocity: Scale medium
Sound: None
Shower: unknown

Observer:
Observer's name: John G.
Address: On File
e-mail: On File

Comments:
Naked eye observation
Two observers, ages 57 and 12.
I am an amature astronomer.
No cloud cover at time of observation.
City lights.
Observers had been outside for 1/2 hour so our vision was dark adapted.

Apparant diameter of fireball:
Start: bright Venus
End : 3/4 diameter of full moon

At the time the observation was made the moon was visible, with parameters
(from Sky View Café set to my coordinates)
Azimuth : 14° 14' 12''
Altitude: 42° 38' 56''
Magnitude: -12.0
Illuminated fraction: 92.9%
Angular diameter: 33.39'

As the moon was visible at the time of my observation,
I have confidence in brightness and size comparisons relative to full moon. 

                Thanks for sharing this report John!

E-mails From:


popealexander93 In El Paso TX:

On May 14, 2011 I say a fireball in El Paso Texas. I was facing west between 11:45pm and 12:00am when i looked up and say a bright red fireball streak across the sky and go behind the franklin mountains. I didn't hear any noise and the fireball was pretty large in size. I don't know if it was a comet, meteor,  or what? Can you validate what i say? Contact me with any questions on what i saw.
Andrea P. In Tucson, AZ:
Hi I was at a party last night in downtown Tucson, Arizona when I saw the fireball (maybe 10:30 or 11?)  I worked teaching astronomy for years in very dark skies (compared to urban Tucson at near full moon!)  but I have NEVER seen anything so spectacular. I saw it in the eastern sky, moving from south to north.At first it was white light, getting brighter and brighter and leaving a trail, but then it burst into multi-colored light and several pieces (10?), each of which burned in twinkling colors.  It was SO bright! most people at the party thought it was some sort of firework a neighbor had set off. (you were looking for descriptions for elp allsky, right?)
no pics, sadly!
Andrea

Internet Inquiries:

Phoenix, Arizona arrived from google.com on "elp allsky" by searching for shooting star seen in arizona may 14 2011.
00:56:39 -- 35 minutes ago

Marana, Arizona arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: Jan 14, 2011" by searching for meteorite may 14, 2011 tucson.
00:19:17 -- 1 hour 13 mins ago

Mesa, Arizona arrived from google.com on "elp allsky: "Large Fragmenting Meteor Fireball 8:48pm MST Phoenix AZ 08APR2011"...NOT A FIREBALL AT ALL!" by searching for meteor near phoenix.
00:02:43 -- 1 hour 30 mins ago

Event Captured By ELPALLSKY:

image courtesy Sandia Sentinel Fireball Camera-El Paso, TX

Event co-captured by Dr. Salvador Aguirre-Sandia Sentinel All Sky Camera-Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico

***We need visuals on this event! If you saw this fireball, please email wxtx01@gmail.com with details of your sighting. Thank you!***

Bright Meteor Fireball Alberta Canada, MT, ID 14MAY2011...

Bright Yellow Fireball Southern AB Canada May Have Also Been Seen In Montana And Idaho... 

Email From:

Stephanie SS ( Calgary, AB, Canada):
Hello, I was driving south on HWY 2 (QE2 HWY) just passing Bowden Alberta, traveling to Calgary Alberta.  It was a relatively clear sky and initially thought it was an airplane dropping from the sky.  It was bright yellow, and I may have heard a whistling noise.  My daughter was the passenger, and just saw the last of it, before it hit the horizon.  Did not see any impact flashes, or debris (dust cloud, etc).  I suspect it burned up before impact.  Seen many falling stars, but never one so large. It was shortly after 2am, Mountain Standard...on May 14, 2011

Sadie MacD-Kootenay BC
We live on the east shore of Kootenay lake in south eastern B.C.  Last night at around 1:30 am, we saw a bright flash of light that lasted slightly longer than lightning.  There were no clouds in the sky.  About 45 seconds later, we heard a long, rolling thunder-like sound that lasted almost a minute.  A friend was driving north along the lake road and saw a meteor and thought it landed in the lake.  He said it was as big as a house.  Rumors around here say it landed in Llyodminister, Alberta.

***Readers...This was also possibly seen from Montana and Idaho. If you witnessed this event, please email your description including time, date, location, which way you were facing, direction object traveled (right to left etc. is OK), color, any fragmentation or extremely bright flashes, and any sounds heard i.e. booms, hisses etc. to wxtx01@gmail.com  Thank you for your report***