Satellite fuel Dump

US military weather satellite (DMSP F-18) made one nice show as it made a fuel dump after launch on Sunday Oct.18 2009 over Europe and South Africa.The show was captured by sky watchers in both locations.If you never seen a fuel dump or a water dump event in space it is one hell of a sight,Here are some links of images of this event.
www.spaceweather.com/swpod2009/19oct09/Bellini1.jpg?PHPSESSID=futa7ao8o94iqf0oo0b7ql6j26
A QuickTime movie of the event.Very Nice!
www.spaceweather.com/swpod2009/19oct09/forste.mov?PHPSESSID=futa7ao8o94iqf0oo0b7ql6j26
A Quick Time movie player can be had for free from the Internet.
Very nice images from south Africa.
www.astronomical.co.za/gallery.htm
I have only seen such dumps just a few times in my times observing the sky.These events never fail to knock my socks off to there beauty.These dumps are made for safety reason to keep any later possibility of an explosion of the rocket body on orbit because of leaks.This has happened in the past.A old Russian Breeze M rocket body exploded a couple years ago causing such a problem and leaving a field of space junk behind. Fuel dumps are what I like to call WOW! event. ;D
Thomas the Flash