Pear Tree Observatory

This is what I get for not checking the meteor camera every morning. According to the American Meteor Association web page there were 39 reports of a Wednesday morning fireball at the same time my camera recorded this object. We can safely assume this is the same event (#185-2023).

My camera recorded this starting at 0411. I haven’t heard any report on the suspected identity of the object but, my guess would be space junk, but that is just a guess.

UPDATE: I was just advised that this was the recent SpaceX Dragon capsule (mission CRS-26) returning from the ISS on its way to a splashdown off the coast of Tampa. The timing lines up so I am willing to accept the ID.

The PTO hosts a meteor camera for the Spalding All-Sky Camera Network and it captured a nice fireball last night. It was just high enough to trip the software sensors before entering the southwest tree line. Several observers reported it to the American Meteor Society.

I’ve definitely noticed an up-tick in the number of meteors that the SkySentinel camera has been detecting each night. Early this morning it captured 4 with this being the best.

This increase is expected as the peak of the currently active Perseid meteor shower is predicted for this coming Tuesday morning (0700L). The camera only captures the brightest meteors so I am sure a human observer would have seen more. The Moon Monday evening/Tuesday morning will be high and very bright which will reduce the visibility of the dimmer meteors but staying up late will still reward the stalwart meteor watcher.