Fireball in the sky
robg: I'd bet heavily that it was a meteor of some kind. The different compositions will produce different colors and they can enter the atmosphere at many different angles. But there may not have been a report because you may have been the only one to see it! They happen so quickly and you have to be looking up at just the right moment.I once saw one (fiery streak then short burst of flaming goodness) sitting on the Hudson shore in Hoboken looking across at the NYC skyline. I'll never forget that, especially with revelers nearby jamming to Latin music.