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Huge blazing fireball sighted in sky above Ireland

Thursday, 4 February 2010

A blazing fireball has been seen in the sky

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Sightings of a fireball blazing across the sky were reported across Ireland yesterday evening.

Met �ireann said it spotted the object at around 6pm.

It is thought the fireball was a space rock travelling at a 100,000 miles per hour, or the equivalent of a small atomic bomb blast in the skies.

Astronomy Ireland said people in the north and south witnessed the spectacle.

David Moore, of Astronomy Ireland, said: "This is a huge event. A major explosion happened in the sky over Ireland.

"We think it’s a fireball, that’s a rock from space the earth has slammed into and they burn up as huge shooting stars. This one appears to have lit up the whole country.

"The phones here in Astronomy Ireland are going crazy. It was probably seen by thousands of people. If they contact us and tell us where they saw it, we will be able to triangulate their positions and find it within a couple of days."

Mr Moore said those who saw it were facing inland at the time which indicated it landed on ground and not at sea.

Do you have photos or video of the giant fireball? Email us at digital.editorial@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

One man in Co Kildare who witnessed it said he thought it was an aeroplane coming out of the sky.

Valentia Coastguard said it received several calls ranging from Co Kerry, to the midlands and Northern Ireland over the sightings.

There are reports that the fireball landed in Co Cavan.

On Facebook NightSky.ie reported : "It was seen blazing in the air by people all over the country and would have been traveling with the force of a small nuclear weapon. It is likely it has landed inland, but it is unlikely to have injured anyone. Although traveling at high speed when it was spotted, it would have slowed as it hit the atmosphere."

The last time a meteorite hit Ireland was in 1999 and the rock was retrieved in Co Carlow.

It sold for 500 dollars per gram, and Astronomy Ireland is urging anyone with sightings to record it on their website, astronomyireland.ie.

Having broken away from a larger body, they can measure anything from a fraction of a millimetre to the size of a football pitch and bigger.

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Tonight (18/02/10) as I reached home from an outing I walked towards the front door and a yellowy orange looking light was flying in the sky, I thought it was strange because aircrafts are not that colour. And as I looked more closely I saw that it had a flame... I thought it was so wierd at the time as i never thought of it being a fireball. I tried to listen for any sounds but heard nothing. It travelled from north to south.

Posted by Jonathan | 18.02.10, 22:38 GMT

I spotted it just outside Cavan. It didn't really look like it was falling at first because it zig-zagged and moved up as well as down before stating to drop.

Posted by Kevin | 05.02.10, 01:30 GMT

It was definately a pig flying !

Posted by FK | 04.02.10, 16:31 GMT

Just heard on the radio that the fireball was described as a green ball with an orange tail...is it an omen that the tail is wagging the dog?

Posted by JD | 04.02.10, 13:09 GMT

I was looking out my kitchen window last night at 5.54. when i seen the fireball in the sky, it was quiet scary but exciting to see. I was facing north and thought it came down in Donegal.

Posted by isobel | 04.02.10, 12:16 GMT

Iran doing a test run? Was it a vision of the virgin Mary? Do aliens really exist? Wow! the mind is a wonderful thing! Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

Posted by Don King | 04.02.10, 12:05 GMT

You should all be in power. What we need right now is that great sense of humour! Or tell me you weren´t joking. Laugh on.

Posted by robin | 04.02.10, 11:41 GMT

I saw it on the road between Ennis and Shannon. Twas mad, I thought it was a plane dropping out of the sky.

Posted by Éamonn | 04.02.10, 11:35 GMT

My wife and I saw it from M1 at about 5:50 /5:55, very spectacular, seemed to be heading for lough Neagh so good luck finding it, initially thought it was a plane coming down

Posted by CL | 04.02.10, 11:26 GMT