I too live in NC saw the comet like object! It disappeared over a period of about 15 mns. Brilliant w/binocs.

Question

Does anybody know exactly how big it could have been if it was a meteor? Ive seen hundreds of meteors in my life . None like this!

Answer 1

It's not a comet, it's the Centaur upperstage of an Atlas V rocket that just launched a secret spy satellite less than an hour ago. I spotted it and looked at the comet like cloud of hydrogen and oxygen the Centaur vented into space after releasing the satellite. Through my 6-inch telescope, I clearly saw the Centaur and satellite drifting away from each other, and the fan like cloud of propellants vented into space. All drifted slowly in front of the background stars.

Answer 2

I saw it here in Louisiana it was about 5:50 pm 12/10/07
Could only see it for about 20 min. It was not Comet Holmes from SPACEWEATHER.COM
"Two objects streaking through the cloud suggested the possibility of a rocket burn or fuel dump"--and that is the correct explanation. This cloud mimicking Comet 17P/Holmes is fuel dumped from the upper stage of an Atlas rocket that launched a classified satellite into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office earlier this evening. It was a splendid display, now faded away.

Answer 3

List Date: June 2007

Date Type Serial-no. Startplace Payload Kind of payload Orbit Outcome Remarks
August 21, 2002 401 AV-001 CC LC41 Hot Bird 6 Commercial communications satellite GSO Success First Atlas V launch
May 13 2003 401 AV-002 CC LC41 HellasSat 2 Commercial communications satellite GSO Success
July 17, 2003 521 AV-003 CC LC41 Rainbow 1 Commercial communications satellite GSO Success First Atlas V 500 launch
December 17, 2004 521 AV-005 CC LC41 AMC 16 Commercial communications satellite GSO Success
March 11, 2005 431 AV-004 CC LC41 Inmarsat 4-F1 Commercial communications satellite GSO Success
August 12, 2005 401 AV-007 CC LC41 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars orbiter escape Success First Atlas V launch for NASA
January 19, 2006 551 AV-010 CC LC41 New Horizons Pluto and Kuiper Belt probe escape Success Boeing Star 48B third stage used, first Atlas V launch with a third stage
April 20, 2006 411 AV-008 CC LC41 ASTRA 1KR Commercial communications satellite GSO Success Final Atlas commercial launch for ILS
March 8, 2007 401 AV-013 CC LC41 Space Test Program-1 6 military research satellites LEO Success FalconSAT-3
June 15, 2007 401 AV-009 CC LC41 NRO L-30R (NOSS-4-3A & B) Two NRO Reconnaissance satellites LEO Partial failure (premature cutoff of Centaur upper stage) First Atlas V flight for the National Reconnaissance Office
October 11, 2007 421 AV-011 CC LC41 WGS SV-1 Military communications satellite GTO Success valve replacement[3]
2007-12-10 401 AV-015 CCAFS LC-41 NRO L-24 NRO Reconnaissance satellite Success
Thats a AV-015.NRO Reconnaissance satellite.It was launched today.

Answer 4

i saw it to....i have been researching it for the past 40 mins or so. Just call me a spaz. I live in SC and saw it almost directly above me...i only took a glimpse of it for 5 mins but, it was the most abstract thing...that i have seen in a while. People are saying that it was seen in Maine, and yesterday, seen in germany...i dunno im not done looking into it.

Answer 5

nuscorp...............

here are the stats I found on wiki about the recent launch

2007-12-10

serial-no AV-015
luanch site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_41
payload- NRO L-24 Reconnaissance satellite
orbit -Success

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=11016&mid=221256

to the smart one below you, its listed as a recon sat ....... and we have it pointed right at chya

Answer 6

Umm if it is a "secret satellite" how do YOU know about it. Wouldn't that make it an un-secret satellite.