Large Fireball

Baldelli (M^me), Astronomical Register, vol. 3 (1965), p. 53 John G. Wolbach Library, Harvard Smithsonian Center for astrophysics - Provided by NASA Astrophysics Data System < Stilo, Giuseppe: Magonia Exchange, 9 avril 2007

L'article d'origine

Account of a large fireball seen at Poggio Ubertini, near Florence. (Extract of a letter from Madame Baldelli):—

"On the 1^st of last month (November), wandering out after dark, I saw at about six minutes to 11, in the direction of the Stella Polaris, one of the most remarkable meteoric appearances in the sky I have ever seen (and I have seen some very curious ones). A white globe of fire many times larger than the full portion of the surrounding heavens was lighted up by it, so much so that my head being turned away from it, I mechanically apprehended it was moonlight, though, had I though at all, I should have known that no moon was at that time in sight ; but a bright shimmering of light on a tall bay tree not far from me recalled my attention, and turning I saw this fireball, white for a moment, shades of orange and blue passing over its surface, the latter gaining on the former. After a full minute's time (after I had turned towards it) it disappeared suddenly—vanishing, not appearing to move from where it was; only just before its disppearance a smaller ball was seen immediately below it, of a fiery orange colour, the first one appearing at the moment of the same hue. I called Baldelli often whilst looking at it, but he had left the drawing-room, which opened on the grounds, and did not hear me. The servants in the kitchen (also on the ground-floor, but far away from where I was) thought the bright light came from sheet lightning."