Sandwich, Kent, England — 5 February 1850
Slow-moving “red-hot iron ball”
At 6:50 P.M. according to Mr. W. H. Weekes, a small luminous object appeared stationary near Orion and approached slowly on a straight line, growing to one third the apparent diameter of the moon. It went from a speck of light to a “red-hot iron ball,” hovered for about three minutes and disappeared in a shower of fire. The object had remained stationary for 1 min 45 seconds, then moved horizontally for a full 45 seconds.
Source: Report of the British Astronomical Association (1851): 1-52 at 2-3, 38, and Baden Powell, On Observations of luminous meteors, op. cit. 451. Case: W404