Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Spectacular Fireball Lights Up UK Sky

Posted by timothy on from the see-something-say-something dept.

The Bad Astronomer writes "An extremely bright meteor burned up over Ireland and the northern UK around 22:00 UTC on Friday night, and was apparently witnessed by thousands of people. It traveled east to west, and was moving relatively slowly. It may have been an actual rock, or it may have been some human-made space debris — a satellite or rocket booster — burning up. Space junk tends to move more slowly, so that's a potential suspect, though orbiting debris usually moves in the opposite direction. I'm collecting pictures and images on my Bad Astronomy blog."

16 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. I'm not saying it was aliens... by atomicxblue · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... but it was aliens...

    1. Re:I'm not saying it was aliens... by Longjmp · · Score: 4, Funny

      Emphasis on was.
      Anything entering the atmosphere at 50 km/sec definitely belongs to the category "was". ;-)

      --
      There are fewer illiterates than people who can't read.
    2. Re:I'm not saying it was aliens... by Longjmp · · Score: 3, Funny

      Agreed.
      However, if it had the size of a little moon, you'd belong to the category "was" by now.

      --
      There are fewer illiterates than people who can't read.
    3. Re:I'm not saying it was aliens... by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey, get your facts straight. SG-1 fought against the Goa'uld, Julius Caesar fought against the Ga'ouls.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re:I'm not saying it was aliens... by mcgrew · · Score: 5, Funny

      You mean if it was a meatier meteor?

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  2. Once saw a great fireball from Melbourne by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It started out much like these videos. A bright head with a trail behind it, but then the object exploded, spraying material in all directions and burned out very quickly.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
    1. Re:Once saw a great fireball from Melbourne by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Funny

      A bright head with a trail behind it, but then the object exploded, spraying material in all directions and burned out very quickly.

      That's what she said.

    2. Re:Once saw a great fireball from Melbourne by DaveyJJ · · Score: 3, Funny

      A bright head with a trail behind it, but then the object exploded, spraying material in all directions and burned out very quickly.

      That's what she said.

      SeaFox, ladies and gentlemen! He's here all week.

      --
      DaveyJJ
  3. Was that you, Sir Richard Branson . . . ? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Funny

    I didn't hear about his Virgin Fireball project yet.

    Was that, by sheer coincidence, around pub closing time . . . ?

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  4. Saw this by hinchles · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was watching this went out for a smoke saw something bright and green coming directly towards me. I live close to an airport so thought it was just a plane coming in to land at a funny approach. After a minute or 2 it started getting bigger and brighter still coming directly towards me then a piece fell off it with a massive trail and I realised what it was (late night i was being slow). Continued to watch it as it kept getting bigger and bigger. Almost directly overhead and it split into loads of little pieces from green to orange they all developed massive trails and then just vanished there was nothing blocking my view and I was looking almost vertical at this point so I must have just caught the end of it. Would be nice to know where it actually impacted as by the time it vanished it was bright enough it was actually lighting up the fields around me.

    1. Re:Saw this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      If you are now blind and being attacked by plants, I may have a theory....

    2. Re:Saw this by cheesecake23 · · Score: 4, Informative

      After a minute or 2 it started getting bigger and brighter still coming directly towards me.

      You need to share this info. A few more people like you and we'll be able to triangulate the site of impact (if there is one). To quote the Bad Astronomer:

      And if you did witness it, you should file a report with the IMO, so they can collect all the info - it may help lead to finding meteorites, pieces that have made it all the way down to the ground!

      Or at least contact the BadAss himself, see links in TFS.

  5. Ireland saw it too... by Kiffer · · Score: 5, Informative

    I wish I hadn't gone to bed early last night...
    Here's a little video from Ireland.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6BZF8dhYJI

  6. human-made? I don't think so... by pe1chl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When it travelled east to west, it most likely wasn't human-made space debris.

  7. Saw it in Sweden too by MindPrison · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I saw this over Sweden as well, exactly that time yesterday.

    I thought it was party fireworks from our neighbors that had a party that night, so I didn't think about it until I thought it was a bit funny that there where no firework sounds, no explosions.

    But that red ball that floated around was sure big and bright. I really honestly just thought it was your average red flare.

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
  8. Everyome who looked at it... by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...will go blind and be eaten by ambulatory carnivorous plants. Sorry to deliver the bad news.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel