Meteor trail

[Pixies]

Just seen the brightest meteor I have ever seen before! It was around 23:45 (sorry, I didn't make a note). SE to NW, greenish in colour.  Around 30deg in travel.

But the thing was, it left a pale trail for a brief second after it had faded - like smoke. It was visible in the light skies here. I'm sure it wasn't an after-image as that would have been a dark line. This appeared to 'spread out' after the meteor, a bit like a thin wake.

 

Am I imagining it, or is this an actual thing? I haven't been drinking!

 

[John]

It's an actual thing. It is called an ionized trail. They can be detected by radio astronomers as well as being seen visually.

 

 

 

 

[Waddensky]

Great observation! As John says, this is a real phenomenon, known as ionization trail or afterglow. Some meteor showers are known for these trails, such as the Perseids and Orionids.