[meteorite-list] Orange Lights Seen Over Australia

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:54:03 2004
Message-ID: <200202110410.UAA11890_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.thewest.com.au/20020211/news/latest/tw-news-latest-home-sto43846.html

Satellite theory in lights mystery
By Carmelo Amalfi
The West Australian
February 11, 2002
 
A DYING satellite launched by China in 1994 could have
created a sky show over Perth early yesterday.

Four orange lights were seen heading seawards in the
north-west sky soon after midnight.

Amateur astronomer John Sollich said he was driving south
from Ocean Reef when he saw the loose formation.

Mr Sollich, who stopped to use binoculars, said the show
lasted several minutes, which ruled out meteorites.

"They seemed to be travelling at the same speed," he said.
"Eventually, one of the three fell out of the sky. The others
kept going north."

Perth Observatory astronomer Peter Birch said five satellites
were due to re-enter Earth's atmosphere, but only a Chinese
test unit was due over the Indian Ocean.

The lights could have been Chinese New Year fireworks, he
said.
Received on Sun 10 Feb 2002 11:10:15 PM PST