Large Meteor over the UK

HI

Weird

I was driving though Aberdeen at that time and saw what I thought was the fall out from a rocket/firework.

Was amazed to see this thread.

Was it not the Falcon 9 launch, today from Cape Canaveral?

www.spacex.com...

reply to post by stellify


Also shocked to see this thread. As i left work at c 17:35 walking north towards Leeds station i saw a streak across the sky in a rough east to west direction. I thought i looked like a meteor but it seemed so low on the horizon that i thouight it must be a firework, Didn't think it could be a firework either though as it was silent, too quick and appeared to be heading on a downward horizonatal rather tahn heading up like a firework would. Was a freaky sight, i looked at other people around heading home to see if they acknolwledged seeing it, but most people seemed oblivious. Apologies for spelling.

reply to post by atasteofhoney


I have to agree, it did look very similar to a firework and was around the same time...


Most people were probably oblivious as they were looking down at their feet worrying about the next episode of Coronation Street or something....

PDUK

Originally posted by spungy
reply to post by Winchester_La

 

Yeah I seen a green fireball tonight Im in Ireland I was faceing North it looked like it fell east to west for about 5 to ten secs.. It looked like I was really close to it. I had a good Idea where it might be but now as the reports are so wide im not so shure. Its prob somewhere in the north sea.

That sounds about right for a Geminid as Gemimi is in the ENE right now. Unless Ireland has moved recently however I would have thought the North Sea unlikely. More like the Atlantic.

reply to post by PuterMan


If anybody finds it I want half.. I seen it first

Originally posted by atasteofhoney
reply to post by stellify

 

Also shocked to see this thread. As i left work at c 17:35 walking north towards Leeds station i saw a streak across the sky in a rough east to west direction. I thought i looked like a meteor but it seemed so low on the horizon that i thouight it must be a firework, Didn't think it could be a firework either though as it was silent, too quick and appeared to be heading on a downward horizonatal rather tahn heading up like a firework would. Was a freaky sight, i looked at other people around heading home to see if they acknolwledged seeing it, but most people seemed oblivious. Apologies for spelling.

saw that..driving through far headingley, same time...first thoughts were firework

reply to post by Comatose

Was it not the Falcon 9 launch, today from Cape Canaveral?

That is a possibility as it landed around the right time, but you would need to know the trajectory to determine whether it was the re-entry path.

If only ONE object was seen then I would say there is a chance you are right.

Right...

Just googled geminids.

That's me sorted for the night of 13th Dec.

Am getting the blankets out if it's a clear night and dishing out the hot chocolate and watching the shower come in!

reply to post by PuterMan


Im not sure if there was only one sighting it's very unlikely people in aberdeen seen the same thing I did. It was very local. Fireworks is a deadly discription as it was about as high as a firework would go. 1000 ft would be an over estmate. Ill make a google map of where I was and where I think it was if u like.. It looked a lot smaller than something on re-entry and if it was theres not a lot of it left.

maps.google.com...,-6.713505&hl=en&geocode=FfqNMgMdnVeZ_w%3B&mra=me&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=53.643315 ,-6.714921&sspn=0.012517,0.038409&ie=UTF8&ll=53.755207,-6.237488&spn=0.798954,2.458191&t=h&z=9

I was at point A it passed me at point B. Its not as north as I tought it was. Maby there was only one sighting.

Not shure how to embed the map

I severely doubt this was a firework.

There have been sightings from a number of different areas:

Nottinghamshire
Northampton/Northamptonshire
Leeds
Liverpool
North Wales
Birmingham

All reporting similar things. That's one hell of a firework!

reply to post by LiveForever8


Yeah because fireworks fall from the sky down...

Just like the hot snow falls up

reply to post by LiveForever8


yes as i stated above it was on BBC Look North and
BBC LookNorth LIncolnshire at 18:30pm GMT .

also my friend in The Scottish borders ( west ) also saw it....

snoopyuk

reply to post by spungy


Ex-squeeze me? Baking powder?

reply to post by LiveForever8


Nobody tought it was a firework we were just explaining what it looked like

Here's a map of my sighting.

I was travelling south.

Mine was east to west. Greenish tinge. Low in the sky.

reply to post by stellify


Look at u showing off with ur embeded map.. Yeah it looks very like it was the same thing my map was pointing directly twords u.

Originally posted by spungy
reply to post by stellify

 

Look at u showing off with ur embeded map.. Yeah it looks very like it was the same thing my map was pointing directly twords u.

Sorry - couldnt stop myself!

Finally found a report on the BBC news website.

Meteor fireballs spotted in skies over Britain - link to article

Stargazers throughout the UK have reported seeing a meteor-like streak of light in the darkened skies.

The BBC was contacted by people in Scotland, the Midlands, Wales, and northern and south west England who saw the display at about 1740 GMT.

One witness driving home from work in Coventry said the light was a bit scary because it was so "incredibly bright".

Astronomers said the brightness of the meteor, a chunk of space rock burning up in the atmosphere, was unusual.

Dr David Whitehouse. astronomer and former BBC correspondent, said: "It's a bright meteor called a fireball, extraordinarily bright.

"This a chunk of space rock perhaps the size of your fist, perhaps a bit larger, that is burning up as it comes through our atmosphere at an altitude of 60 or 70 miles or so.

Follow the link for more details!

reply to post by spungy


Your map

Google Map

Taking a line from Aberdeen to Dublin gives approximately the correct direction for it to have been a fireball from the Geminids.