Meteor Sighted In Britain

A meteor sighting in Britain has been recorded in the early hours.

20:12 18 March 2016

Witnesses described the bright meteor as a green flash moving south to north, leaving a magnesium-white trail. 

 

Sightings, which were described by people in social media as St Patrick’s Day meteor, were reported in different locations including Stafford, Hampshire, London and on the east coast of England at 03:16 GMT.

 

Meanwhile, Dr John Mason of the British Astronomical Association said it was bright enough to be categorised as a fireball. He added that “meteors of this kind are not uncommon.”

 

Richard Kacerek, from the UK Meteor Observation Network, added: "This is the biggest meteor sighting we have recorded.”

 

"It lasted for a few seconds. It was seen for hundreds of miles. We have received a number of emails."

 

Dr Karen Masters, an astronomer at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth, said that thousands of these objects hit the Earth every day. "Most of them over the oceans or over uninhabited parts of the world. It is quite rare that one goes over such a populated place and be so bright."