Rome, Italy: Flying formation — 16 September 1408
Three “stars” were seen to fly over Rome. The incident was described by Antonio Di Pietro, canon of the Vatican, in his Diarium Romanum (Diary of Rome from 1404 to 1417), now conserved in the Vatican Archive. Di Pietro narrates that on that evening he was going to supper with friends near where the ancient Basilica of Saint Peter stands today. “Suddenly after sunset…we saw…a beautiful star that, coming from the sky of Tarrione, headed towards Castel Sant’ Angel with two other small, splendid bright stars. And we were all very surprised by that spectacle.” The sighting may have been of an unusual meteor train. Sources: Antonio di Pietro, Diarium Romanum (Diary of Rome from 1404 to 1417), preserved at the Archivio Capitolare Vaticano. This Latin manuscript was found in the Library of Modena by L. A. Muratori, who inserted the text in Volume XXIV (ed. 1734) of the Rerum Italicarum Scriptores. See also Coelum astronomy magazine, No. 5-6, Ma>
Source: Case: W089