What the heck was that !

[Skipper Billy]

During the night I was half asleep due to the wind. My wife and I both witnessed a searing bright light - we had the curtains closed and our eyes closed and it was still painful - it probably lasted between 2 and 3 seconds.

A short time later the while house was violently shaken by a single shock wave.

Being half asleep I dont know the time gap between the light and the shock wave nor what time it occurred.

It definitely wasn't thunder and lightning - the light was too long in duration and the sound wave was a single sharp pulse.

I am near Oban, Scotland

Anyone else see or hear anything?

Anyone know where to look for further info?

[Stu]

Any link with this?

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/256573-Did-anyone-else-hear-that-meteor%3F/page__view__findpost__p__2802603

Possibly a Taurid fireball or bolide?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolide

[allcart]

Which direction does your window face?

I only know of one fireball report last night, and that was at about 20.10pm. A bit too early to be in bed.

[Stu]

Reports here around that time, one mentioning sound heard.

http://www.amsmeteors.org/members/imo_view/browse_reports

[Skipper Billy]

Having discussed it with my wife we think it was about 06:20 this morning - out bedroom window faces NW. (Towards Beinn Nevis)

Nothing on the local news - maybe I should take more water with it !!

[allcart]

There are a few meteor guys in Scotland who monitor the skies at night with video cameras. If the weather was clear last night, someone may have caught it if there cam was facing the right way. I'm waiting for reports to come I when they check their files.

[gooseholla]

If it was 6:20 am then it wasn't anything to do with the one I saw. Sounds a cool event to have experienced.

John

[allcart]

It seems that due to beastly cloud on the night in question, no video captures have been reported. Also no verbal reports on the fireball sites yet so this may just remain a mystery.

[Ouroboros]

Clearly a case of alien abduction. You've had your memories wiped of the gory details. ;-)

[Dave In Vermont]

It's been all over the news here that fireballs are being reported in record numbers from this year's Taurids. The Earth is passing through the debris left from Comet Enke, and we seem to have hit this stream just right for such.

Enjoy the show & all hail the Triffids!

Dave

[Zakalwe]

A bright, intense light followed by a very loud shock wave?

I'm calling a relatively close lightening strike. The length of the strike will be hard to judge due to your eyes being dark adapted....A short bright flash will swamp the photoreceptor. The thunder clap doesn't have to long and rolling...close strikes can be a single very loud bang.

Given the current stormy weather, I would think that a lightening strike is far more likely than a superbright fireball exploding. Especially if there are no reports from the many automated meteor watchers.

[Skipper Billy]

Mmm - maybe it was lightning then - it must have been powerful and damn close !!!

The cat was clearly shocked - I am still clearing up the mess !!!!

[JB80]

Well the sky is falling in Spain at least, 2 objects found so close together and days apart.

 I'd say these would make a bit of noise if you saw it.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/11/09/inenglish/1447079996_457767.html

[davedownsouth]

Early morning fireworks from those pesky next door neighbor's kids?

[LukeSkywatcher]

Any electricity sub-stations near where you live?. 

[Skipper Billy]

There is very little near where I live - no neighbours, no streetlights, no substations !! Think back and beyond and then some !!

[allcart]

So with a little bit of sleuthing, I think I may have solved this mystery. It appears that at 6.45am on the morning in question, a lightning strike did occur just NE of Oban. It was very bright and was followed by a large clap of thunder. I deduce that it was a fierce enough lightning strike that it awoke Skipper Billy and the thunder clap that followed, shook his house and blew his bedsocks off.

A picture tells the story. The yellow dot is the offending strike.

[Skipper Billy]

Well done - thats about 900 metres from our house!

Thanks very much - I will sleep better now !