Astronomer saw shuttle apparently in trouble over California
``In particular, there was one very clear event where there was a piece that backed off the orbiter. ... It was giving off its own light, then it slowly fell from visibility,'' he said.
Beasley said he thought the shuttle might be losing some of the heat-resistant tiles that protect it during the fiery re-entry. He said he did not learn of the shuttle's destruction until he went to the observatory and compared notes with two news photographers who had arranged to photograph the re-entry through a telescope.
Beasley said they compared notes and all agreed they had seen what he termed ``the bright event, the third event.''
``The analogy, I think, is it looked like the shuttle dropped a flare,'' he said.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/5083751.htm
I am sure we are in for a few surprises, some additional tragic, some creating even more questions.