Fireball
Taken by Nicolas Zea Posada on March 19, 2017 @ Holmsund, Sweden
Click photo for larger image
  Camera Used: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. PENTAX KP
Exposure Time: 1/2500
Aperture: f/5.0
ISO: 800
Date Taken: 2017:04:05 14:03:58
  
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Details:
Checking out some files of this past winter, I discovered that a fireball had crossed behind our horizon, but we were very distracted testing the a sequential timer system of the camera and us, of course...
Photographer's website:
http://www.zeafoto.org
Comments
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More likely a distant airplane contrail. The speed of motion of the presumed fireball is not compatible with the speed of motion of the people in the photo.
Posted by iovane 2017-04-05 08:30:58
Looks like an airplane.
Posted by kb9uwu 2017-04-05 12:49:19
Hey there!
Thank you very much for your interesting analysis.
I was surprised about this matter, because I took the pictures in high speed sequence timer (Not for time-lapse settings) at 1/2500 seconds fractions, ISO 800, 18 mm Focal Lens (Equivalent to 27 mm for 35 mm cameras) at f5, All this four pictures are inside the same minute, local time 16:31, and the other ones, from the same sequence, have not any contrail.
Really I am concerned in this, because ten minutes before I took some pictures of a jet trail, and was very long, with very wide and zigzagged contrail, than seems, for me, the speed of the wind on the jets altitude, was very stronger. I have the original RAW files, with the original exif information. Here I have not let enable, for not make free advertising :-D
Posted by ZeaFoto 2017-04-05 19:14:26
Hi ZeaFoto,

I have seen two real fireballs in my life. They take a short time to complete their visible path through the atmosphere, such as meteoroids do. On the other hand, DISTANT airplanes low on the horizon, when also the sun is low or set, look just as your presumed firaball looks, and this is a very common view. Ive seen hundreds of them. Sometimes they have been presented as comets in the spaceweather gallery. In conclusion I would say, if the time lag between the first and the last of your posted photos is in the order of one second or less, then we could consider the hypothesis of a fireball, otherwise we could not. Regards.
Posted by iovane 2017-04-06 08:24:15
Definitely not a fireball. Flipping between the 3rd and 4th photos you see that the clouds (and the sunlight on the snow too) moved a lot. Not a matter of seconds. Not such a difference between photos 1, 2 and 3.
Bests.
Posted by iovane 2017-04-06 15:52:36
All variables are possible.
For my experience, in my shots of the fireball or meteors, made traces on the photos, depending of this size, the angle of impact at our atmosphere, how long time took to be destroyed for it, and frequently rebooting and return to the space.
I dont understand from where yours took the time measurement for all meteors or fireballs.
About five years ago, when I was in Latvia filming a documentary, retuning by car at night from Ventspils to Riga, a fireball was flying in the same direction of our car, for a long time... many seconds...
Was very impressive...
This is an interesting example that contradict yours fireballs time measurement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpmXyJrs7iU
Posted by ZeaFoto 2017-04-06 16:11:54
Would you also consider the following.

The chelyabinsk meteor was an extreme case that caused destruction, unlike your case I think. It lasted about 10 seconds during which it spanned a MUCH wider extent in the sky with high *angular* speed.
Please search google images for COMET LIKE CONTRAIL and you will see things like yours. You might also want to read comment to photo #2 at
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/my-favorite-ufos/
I see many of them almost identical to yours and a flightradar24 check says that the airplanes might be as far as 200 Km away.

Anyway, how much time passed between your photos 3 and 4? Much more than that between photos 2 and 3, based on the motion of the clouds.
Posted by iovane 2017-04-07 02:43:54
I dont think thats an airplane in the sky but you two are definitely causing some fireworks somewhere!
Posted by satieb123 2017-04-12 18:34:19
 
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