Object Trailing Sparks In Skies Over Tennessee, also Mars Probe Update

Depiction- SW/LITS

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Witnesses report having observed an object trailing sparks as it traveled across the sky over Tennessee.

[This report is unedited.]

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MUFON Case #  34688
Date:    2011-12-30
Time;   18:15
Status:    Assigned
City:    Nashville
State:    Tennessee
Shape:    Fireball,Flash
Duration:    00:02:00
Distance:    One mile or less
Summary:    Large trail of sparks with two falling pieces

Report:
We were driving down I40 headed into Nashville after the 40/24 split and saw what looked like a civilian plane with an engine on fire traveling roughly north to south. There was a stream of sparks which looked to be over 60 long trailing behind a plane (its hard to estimate distance at night). The sparks could clearly be seen and it was below five thousand feet. The only reason Im guessing it was a plane was there appeared to be blinking lights which correspond to civilian airplane tail/wing marker lights. One piece came off still trailing sparks and began to fall slowly towards the earth. Then a second piece fell off and had the same rate off decent. After both of these fell and tail of sparks ceased we were expecting this plane to start to fall from the sky assuming it was a dual engine passenger plane breaking up. Our focus then shifted to the two falling objects second of which reversed direction and travels towards the first. As they overlap the first goes out and the second continues in a near horizontal trajectory. While watching this we had lost focus of the plane which is catching back up with the second sparking object. Just before the plane reaches the object it goes out.At this point both of us have no idea what we just witnessed. By no means do we think it was extra terrestrial in origin but we are unable to find ANYTHING on the web. My friend who witnessed this posted a topix thread in the Nashville forum and received one quality response so far. I am aware there is an international airport and Air force base at the Donelson exit, but this was in no way near an approach for either being several miles west of both. I have also seen military flares first hand (Magnesium and phosphorous) and they are single points of light with faint reflection of smoke at night. These were however tails of sparks and not a traditional flare.

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Mars Probes will soon drop back to Earth.

Phobos Grunt Re-entry
Depiction courtesy Space.com

The crippled Russian Mars Probe known as Phobos-Grunt, is likely to make re-entry on January 15, 2012.

Weighing in at over 13 tons, the stricken Mars probe could make quite a mess, if it's toxic fuel and massive parts aren't burned up on re-entry.

Where those charred remains will fall is still anyone's guess. -SW

Video tracks stricken Mars Probe


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