I think I just saw a meteorite???

Digitaljunkie

Hi folks

I don't normally post in this section but I just saw something really weird. Was on the mobile phone in my back garden in north county meath and at 10:45 what looked like a fireball flew quite low across the sky. Then a small trail popped out behind and it went out. Would love to know if anyone spotted it? Has to be a meteorite. I don't normally have much of an interest in astronomy is their a website that reports these? I need to know that i'm not going mad!!!!!!! It definitely was not a lantern or shooting star firework etc! Never saw anything like it before.

Cheers Dj.

Hauk

It very well could have been one. I've seen a few in my time, and it sounds similar to the ones I've seen.

As for reporting it, Astronomy Ireland have a fireball reporting page on their website for the public to submit their reports.

http://astronomy.ie/fireball.php

That's the page. I'm not affiliated with them at all, it's just the only page I know of.

son.of.jimi

I'm in Kildare and can see 2 trails still in the sky. . . One of which is massive and is being lit up by the moon at the moment! it looks savage! pity i can't find my camera! i'd throw a pic up!

son.of.jimi

03:15, Just seen another one fly by. . . Was heading South-West direction. . . Man that was awesome!!!!

backboiler

These things move fast enough to cross the entire sky, from horizon to horizon, in 3 to 5 seconds. Nothing else moves at that speed, not satellites, not space shuttles, not aeroplanes.
If that's what you saw then it was a meteor. If it didn't then it wasn't.

Digitaljunkie

backboiler wrote: »

These things move fast enough to cross the entire sky, from horizon to horizon, in 3 to 5 seconds. Nothing else moves at that speed, not satellites, not space shuttles, not aeroplanes.
If that's what you saw then it was a meteor. If it didn't then it wasn't.

Yea only saw it while facing south approx 2.5 seconds max maybe, not from horizon to horizon as it seemed quite low but to high for a firework etc. I didn't see a trail at first. It had a bright stream like a tail which as far as I could see popped out the back like it broke away just for about 1 second before it went out!!!

Would like to know if their was any official reports on it?

Thx Hauk i'll do that............

Dj.

ihavequestions

There is a meteor shower going on now, the orionids shower, up to 20 per hour!

Digitaljunkie

I always associated a meteorite shower with a lot of shooting stars high in the sky. Its the first time i've seen a low trailing fireball before now I know where the movie special effect artists get their ideas from "real life happenings"

Dj

dmg11234

Hey probably nothing to do with what you're talking about but on the Naas road this morning at 8AM we saw something really weird, it was bright out, and it was a big ball of light coming downwards close to earth (or so it looked) only lasted a second and I wouldnt have believed it only for my partner shouted Did you see that?? it moved like a shooting star except it came downwards and it was really big (about the size of a pea I'd say..

Any ideas what it was? Ps the night before last I saw a ball of fire moving slowly across the sky in Sallins but I assumed it was a Sky Lantern as it was moving slowly and no tail

dmg11234

Hi everyone

We were driving on the Naas road this morning between kildare and dublin and saw a really bright and big ball of light coming down towards earth, it moved like a shooting star but it was much bigger and much closer, and it was totally bright outside??

Wouldnt have believed my eyes only for my fiance asked did I see it!

Would love to know if it was just us or if anyone else saw it..

slade_x

Digitaljunkie wrote: »

Has to be a meteorite.

A meteorite is a meteor (visible streak of light caused by a meteroid pulled in by earths gravity) that has survived its descent through the atmosphere and impacted the ground.

dmg11234 wrote: »

Hey probably nothing to do with what you're talking about but on the Naas road this morning at 8AM we saw something really weird, it was bright out, and it was a big ball of light coming downwards close to earth (or so it looked) only lasted a second and I wouldnt have believed it only for my partner shouted Did you see that?? it moved like a shooting star except it came downwards and it was really big (about the size of a pea I'd say..

Any ideas what it was? Ps the night before last I saw a ball of fire moving slowly across the sky in Sallins but I assumed it was a Sky Lantern as it was moving slowly and no tail

That is exactly how individual meteors appear as they burn up through their descent through the atmosphere. the leading compression of air causes a hugh increase in temperature at the surface of the meteor. it will either appear to disappear if the entire mass burns up or the meteor is sufficiently slowed or combusts as it enters the more pressurised (thicker)parts of our atmosphere

Digitaljunkie

slade_x wrote: »

it will either appear to disappear if the entire mass burns up or the meteor is sufficiently slowed or combusts as it enters the more pressurised (thicker)parts of our atmosphere

Thats exactly how it looked although a piece detached from the back and it went out as it was falling. It looked quite large before it went out. I haven't heard any reports so not sure if i'm the only one who spotted it, highly unlikely I think as it was so large. Its the first time iv'e spotted one so enjoyed my 2 seconds of natural special effects.