Did anyone else see the Bolide Fireball at 12.35am !!

I was just wiggling my keys in the front door lock of the house after arriving back from The Glendalough 100hours event when for some reason I turned and looked up at the sky one last time before heading inside.

With that I saw something flare up below Denebola in Leo which for a split second I thought was the brightest Iridium I had ever seen. When I realised it was leaving a trail and now a second later had flared up to a glaring intensity much much brighter than Venus!! It trailed bright white glowing 'sparks' and by the time it was over Virgo it broke up into 3 or 4 bright pieces which themselves each trailed bright glowing 'sparks'. Faded out under Arcturus and above the eastern side of Virgo.

A truely awe inspiring sight. I'll probably never see anything like it again.

The perfect end to the perfect week of Astronomy. A super successful Solo 100 hours event outside my front door with the most beautiful transparent night with exceptional seeing on Thursday, A perfect night at a 200+ attendance event in the beautful Glendalough with the sky awash with countless stars all night....and the most amazing Bolide Fireball to top it all off when I got home. Couldn't have asked for more!! :laugh:

You lucky f$%^&"r:-).

It was cloudy back in Dundrum by the time I got home.

Michael.

I went to my front door where I saw it from and based on where and how high the moon is tonight and with the help of Starry Night Pro software I have re-assesed what constellations I saw it travel from ,through and to. It was about 20º high and traveled about 25-30º from above corvus around where the Sombrero Galaxy is passed spica through Virgo and faded out on the eastern side of Virgo about 15º high

These two Youtube videos look very much like what I saw.

Yes Calibos thanks for point out the correct thread
:laugh:
I caught it from indoors, a bright streak in the West slightly due South. I first thought 'meteor' but it was so bright I was almost certain it must have been a car or motorbike light reflecting through the glass window.

Pitty I wasn't able to go observing Sunday, I would have loved to seen it in full motion.

Doh! :blush: I know why you found that old thread mate instead of this one. You probably searched the forums with the word "Meteor" while I had Bolide Fireball in my thread title.

I know exactly what you mean about thinking it was a motorbike headlight reflecting off your window. This thing was mad bright! Much much brighter than venus and almost glared with the intensity of an oncoming headlight even without a window in the way.

We were very lucky to happen to be looking at this area of the sky at the right time. We probably personally wont see anything like this again for decades if ever.

Did you see, its in all the newspapers today. In a few more days we'll probably have footage from security cameras.

As for reports it made landfall. I very much doubt it. I am 100 yards from the sea in Bray and it flared up just east of duew south traveling from west to east. It would have landed in the sea if indeed any debris made it to the surface of the earth.

Funny I didn't see this particular one but I did see another just a few nights back. Approx mag -8(ish). I was locking up the observatory at about 2:00am when I happened to look up. It moved west to east going right through UMa which was high overhead. It broke into two pieces and one of the pieces exploded into lots of other pieces. Really made my night!