Fireball

The “Fireball” Experience

A fireball streaks across the Alaskan sky above the Wrangell Mountains on March 13, 2020 at 2:08 am, my luckiest Friday the 13th ever! Rarely do I start hootin’ & hollerin’ after I take a photo, but, when I clicked the shutter open for a 5-second test shot of some developing auroras and a BRILLIANT shooting star streaked right through my frame, I kind of lost control of my emotions!! I couldn’t believe my eyes and just started yelling every elated word I could think of! (glad no one recorded that;). Wow, what a great feeling.

The meteor seemed to have lasted around 3 seconds, and even popped brightly in the middle as it disintegrated, so I could have just as easily cut off the head or tail of the double-pointed javelin-looking spear of light if the shutter closed prematurely. I have been wishing upon a star for a long time in hopes of catching a fireball and now I know why. That five seconds between the click of my shutter opening and then seeing… FLASH!-zzzinnnng-fade... followed by the click of my shutter closing was, well, words escape me!