I'm reminded of something I witnessed about 25 yrs ago. I was heading back to Bendigo one Friday night around 10.30 in the evening and was feeling pretty relaxed after an incident I'd had earlier on the evening that had really rattled me. The aeroplane was droning along on a crystal clear night with not a ripple to be felt when, more than a little unexpectedly, the sky was lit up ahead by this great incandescent arc of fire spreading across the sky.
I was actually that startled (still in the slighty rattled mode), I ducked.
The core colour of what I was seeing was a very intense bright yellow, but there appeared to be a number or big globules breaking off, or melting off the main object whatever it was. As these pieces seperated the fire trail they left was a vivid green colour. So far it's been the most spectacular thing I've ever seen in the night sky (other than the stars themselves of course). Never heard anything of what it was, but I've always figured it to be some sort of space junk re-entering the atmosphere. Wish I'd seen the event the other night.