So is this the “normal” frequency for fireballs, or is it a swarm? Predicted? Totally a surprise? Part of the Leonid and Geminid meteor showers that arrive this time of year?
The Leonids were back in mid-November. The Geminids *might* be just starting now. In any case, they may be waiting for more info before they try to guess which, if any, annual meteor event this fireball may have been part of.
"The Geminids are a meteor shower caused by an object named 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be an extinct comet. The meteors from this shower can be seen in mid-December and usually peak around 12-14 of the month. The Geminid shower is thought to be intensifying every year and recent showers have seen 120-160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids
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Also see:
Stunning fireball over Cloudbait on the morning of December 6!
At 1:06 AM MST a huge fireball exploded over central Colorado, near Colorado Springs. I estimate its brightness at magnitude -18, about 100 times brighter than the full Moon. You can see this remarkable event here,. Stay tuned for more details as I investigate this huge fireball. If you saw it, please file a witness report.
A bright fireball was witnessed from Colorado and the surrounding states at about 8:43 PM MST on December 4:
Weather conditions prevented the meteor from being caught on any cameras, but the large number of witness reports make it possible to estimate the flight path over southeast Colorado. Read my report, and if you saw this fireball please file a witness report.
The annual Leonid meteor shower peaked on the morning of November 17:
Although there was a bright Moon interfering, the Cloudbait camera captured 141 meteors over four nights. See my 2008 Leonids page for details.
There was a bright fireball over central Colorado at 7:29 pm MDT, October 28:
It was recorded by several allsky cameras. I have received hundreds of witness reports from all over Colorado. Images and videos are available here. If you saw this fireball, please report it so your information gets included in the analysis.