Huge meteor reported across Nevada skies

[Gary]

Sott article: Huge meteor reported across Nevada skies

http://www.sott.net/article/309036-Huge-meteor-reported-across-Nevada-skies

Just checked the American Meteor Society (AMS) website and they have received 56 reports about a fireball seen over CA, AZ and NV on Wednesday, December 23rd 2015 around 02:10 UT.

But are stating this is space junk.

WARNING: this is NOT a Fireball but a Space Junk Re-entry.

http://www.amsmeteors.org/members/imo_view/event/2015/4097#cont_271

It wasn’t a fireball. The phenomena was Russian space debris – a SL-4 rocket body that reentered the atmosphere somewhere above Arizona.

http://www.amsmeteors.org/2015/12/space-junk-re-entry-over-california-and-neveda/

So does this video show a meteor fireball fragmenting or space junk breaking up. Any thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDV82hWpCe8

 

[kujo]

The last link you provided sure looks like whatever was traveling broke into several pieces and began to burn up. My preliminary guess, space junk, which sounds so "ah, it's nothing, nothing to see here" - I don't agree with that usually.

There was reports of a near earth object passing by around Christmas Eve, so I suppose this fits the bill, though I'm still leaning towards space junk.

This link provided tell us that the reports of the pass around Christmas Eve would have to be seen with a telescope because of it's distance (28 lunar distances). So, doesn't mean it's not a meteor, but likely is not the one reported.

_http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/1998WT24/1998WT24_2015_planning.html



edit: clarification

 

[Gawan]

I cannot say for sure what it is in the end. But I would say, if the US military comes up with an explanation and explains that it was space junk seems highly suspicious to me. According to spaceflight.com there were several Russian rockets launched in that time frame.

_https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

The last link you provided sure looks like whatever was traveling broke into several pieces and began to burn up. My preliminary guess, space junk, which sounds so "ah, it's nothing, nothing to see here" - I don't agree with that usually.

There was reports of a near earth object passing by around Christmas Eve, so I suppose this fits the bill, though I'm still leaning towards space junk.

This link provided tell us that the reports of the pass around Christmas Eve would have to be seen with a telescope because of it's distance (28 lunar distances). So, doesn't mean it's not a meteor, but likely is not the one reported.

_http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/1998WT24/1998WT24_2015_planning.html

edit: clarification

That's supposedly Asteroid D220.