In Central Florida, something just blew up in the sky--Did anyone see it?

[Baitball Blogger]

It was a cloud of smoke, something spiraled to the ground and three lights floated down.

Anyone else see it? It was to the east.

UPDATE: It WAS the sunset launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket. According to the news reports everything was normal.

[Bandit]

1. Did you report the sighting?

Or have you heard of any reports? It sounds serious, I would report it.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Who do I call?

It's now dark and I don't have a camera strong enough to take a picture of any smoke residue. It was pretty large. I would be surprised if no one else reports it. But I don't know who I should call. It was far to the east.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. 911

[Baitball Blogger]

9. It's not a local issue.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. If you report it to the emergency, or non emergency line

they can report it down to the chain to other departments. I have no idea what the setup for yours is, but locally, as in this county, has one common emergency channel for fire, and another for all police agencies, and of course you have the state patrol that is also linked in to local communications.

Preferably call the non emergency line if you believe it is a non emergency and give them as much detail as possible. The dispatcher should have an idea who to send it down the line.

[MoonRiver]

5. 911?

[NutmegYankee]

6. Try the non-emergency number for the local PD.

[Bandit]

14. What makes you think it is not an emergency?

If I saw an explosion in the air with falling debris I certainly would think it an emergency.

[NutmegYankee]

18. I normally reserve 911 to an immediate emergency for which the circumstances are known.

For instance, on Friday in Eastern Conn. we had a very loud boom that lightly shook buildings. Turned out it was a shallow 2.1 earthquake. Since I don't know what it is and if it really isn't an emergency, I wouldn't tie up a 911 operator to ask.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. I used to do this, including dispatch center,

and while I commend you for not trying to waste my time with a vacuous call, (and trust me, got my share of them), as I always told people when they asked about what is an emergency? My answer went something like this, if you believe it is an emergency (in this case an explosion in the air may very well be), please call. I'd rather you call me, and make me waste my time, than not call and then we have to wait for somebody else to do this. After all it was a real emergency, and yes that happened too.

Ideally a call should take all of a minute if this is not truly an emergency, or it is something that has to be transferred to another communications center (as it happened from time to time). From what the OP is describing, it might very well be one that needs transferring down the line. Regardless, he might have witnessed something that got plenty of calls to communications centers that are closer to the scene (I hope). One common problem is that people always assume that others will call. It really is a problem.

Now back to my usual mode of not talking here much any longer. Figured this one might be of some use, but most likely not.

[NutmegYankee]

3. I see that every 4th of July...

I'm kidding somewhat. I'd call the police and report it.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. I wouldn't bother with the local police.

Not within their jurisdiction.

[RKP5637]

15. Yep, I doubt the local police would do anything at all. Maybe log the call, but that's

probably about it ...

[NutmegYankee]

23. Did it look like this?

https://twitter.com/anchortom/status/408009126032457728/photo/1

or this?
https://twitter.com/LE_Sweeney/status/408008893013299201/photo/1


Sometimes the dispatch knows if an event like this is happening in advance since they can expect calls.

[Baitball Blogger]

24. I only got to see the second picture.

The smoke trail that spiraled down was one of three things that I saw.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. Space X Rocket Launch????

[Baitball Blogger]

11. Crap.

What I saw sent chills up my spine because it was more residue than what I saw with the Space Shuttle explosion.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/12/03/spacex-3rd-launch-attempt-commercial-satellite/

[Brickbat]

19. Space X just had a successful (thus far) launch.

[upaloopa]

22. Space X had a launch at Vandenberg AFB CA

I watched it since I live just next to the base.

[Atman]

32. No, the launch was from Cape Canaveral

It was attempted three times last week, while I was in Cocoa Beach. We were watching (waiting) from the beach. It was completely scrubbed on Tuesday due to bad weather. They tried again at 5:39 on Thursday, and they actually completed the countdown and fired it up, but immediately shut everything down when there was a pressure problem. They actually made a second attempt about 90 minutes later, and that was scrubbed, too. It figures...we left Cocoa Beach a day early and got back to CT last night. Missed it by that much!

[upaloopa]

35. There was a space x launch last month from Vandenberg.

They expect to make 40 space x vehicles a year and they will be launched at many different sites.

[rug]

10. Whatever it is involved a naked man.

[RKP5637]

17. Amazon drone test? lol n/t

[neverforget]

39. delivering porn

[RKP5637]

43. lol

[NuclearDem]

42. Yep.

Is it Florida?

Yes--likely involves naked man doing something.

No--doesn't likely involve naked man doing something.

[Agschmid]

12. Nada on the Google yet.

[NightWatcher]

16. Since he can't have guns, maybe George Zimmerman has moved into home made explosives?

Nothing up here in Jax so far

[Brickbat]

20. Did it look like this?

:large

It's being described on Twitter as "terrifying/awesome." Sounds like you had the same experience.

Edited to add another photo:

https://twitter.com/martinparedes/status/408009224023572481/photo/1/large

[Baitball Blogger]

21. It looked like

A small mushroom cloud and then, to the left there was flare that turned into three lights that floated down. Another item began to fall straight down and then spiraled to the ground, leaving a smoke trail.

[Berlum]

27. Oh o - hope the accurate details will come forth

But then again, certain realities are VERBOTEN TOPICS

[Heather MC]

33. That looks like giant alien sky sperm. All fertile women in FL will wake up Pregnant tomorrow

[darkangel218]

34. ....

[jberryhill]

26. Ask this guy

[giftedgirl77]

29. My dad & I were talking about that dude the other day...

Somebody has done waaayyyyy too much acid.

[madinmaryland]

28. Rick Scott resigned and Alan Grayson was named governor of Florida...

Freeper heads exploding!!

[CFLDem]

30. I'm right down the street.

Awesome launch. Can't wait for the one in the 12th. Only regret is that I wasn't down here for the shuttles.

[JCMach1]

31. Saw the weird trail/cloud at sunset here in N. Florida

glad to know what it was

one of the more spectacular things I have ever seen was a rare night space shuttle launch from Melbourne, FL... so bright it burned your eyes

[collinisaac0104]

36. Engines quit...

I actually live across the river.....my kids and i saw the whole launch.....everything at the beginning was normal...but suddenly the smoke trail ended....it started up again but then suddenly a halo of smoke erupted......then we all saw three pieces and a bigger brighter fourth piece.....something up there did not look right!!!!!!!!!

[Baitball Blogger]

38. We saw the same thing.

I wonder if their method of launch has a lot of debris involved with it?

[FarCenter]

37. SpaceX's First Commercial Launch: Third Time Is a Charm

Three was the magic number that finally got SpaceX's watershed mission off the ground.

The space transport company's third attempt at getting the Falcon 9 rocket off the launching pad was a success. After two delays, Elon Musk and SpaceX employees can breathe a sigh of relief as the Falcon 9 rocket soared into the evening sky from Cape Canaveral, Fla., and into view for many Floridians. The official time of liftoff was 5:41 p.m.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/spacexs-commercial-launch-time-charm/story?id=21069734

[cpwm17]

40. I watched the launch on TV

and then I happened to look out my bedroom window and I saw the bright orange smoke from the rocket which was prominent in the evening sky. That's the first time I've notice that on any successful launch.

[aikoaiko]

41. Univ. of Florida's bowl game dreams?

I keed. I keed.