What on Earth just burned up over London tonight?

[Gerrymac]

Just saw the damndest thing! A bright orange fireball over Central London about 11:35pm (about 15 minutes ago). Something burning up on reentry perhaps? It was moving along at about five times the speed of the ISS and with the same eerie silence, and eventually petered out towards the north east.

I got a couple of photos, but even on maximum ISO, the camera exposure was way too long and so it's badly blurred and very noisy.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Could be a sporadic meteor. I spotted a very bright one yesterday as well. Once very long ago I remember pouring over my sky atlas with a little red torch, and the entire page was lit up as if by a camera's flash. I looked up and was just in time to see the phosphorescent trail of what was most likely a fireball (bright meteor). You get these from time to time. Spectacular sight.

[Gregski]

Chances are you were lucky and saw a sporadic fireball (if it was mag -5 Venus or brighter). If it broke up then I think they are called bollides. However there are some reports on this forum of enhanced meteor activity so perhaps they are connected? Can't recall where best place to report it is but it's worth doing.

Greg

[Smeg]

Chances are you were lucky and saw a sporadic fireball (if it was mag -5 Venus or brighter). If it broke up then I think they are called bollides. However there are some reports on this forum of enhanced meteor activity so perhaps they are connected? Can't recall where best place to report it is but it's worth doing.

Greg

Enhanced meteor activity?

Reminds me of the term "Enhanced pat downs" by the TSA

Maybe it was a "kinetic event", like the term used by NATO

[Gregski]

:)The place to report Fireballs in the UK is the SPA popastro site:

Society for Popular Astronomy - MeteorSectionMaking and Reporting Fireball Observations

The magnitude definition of a fireball is actually -3 or brighter.

As for 'enhanced pat downs' that will hopefully remain the preserve of our American cousins.

Greg

[Smeg]

Call NORAD I am sure they know about it

[Ivor Scope]

I saw something on the net about a u.s. Satellite due to crash back to earth soon, but didn't pay much attention

[Gregski]

NASA say the 6 ton satellite " is the largest NASA satellite to re-enter in about 30 years". Due reenter on Friday but no location given.

Greg