Meteor - re-entering space debris?

Meteor - re-entering space debris?

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Discussion

Eric Mc

Original Poster:

122,032 posts

265 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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At 9.30 this evening I spotted two fireballs in the northern sky. They were travelling east to west at a height of around 50 degrees and were flashing bright orange and red.

They were travelling too fast to be an aircraft but were not as quick as most meteors - so they could have been a piece of space debris entering the atmosphere and breaking up.

I was viewing from North East Hampshire.

Quite spectacular.

Martin350

3,775 posts

195 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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It is the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower tomorrow night / early Friday morning.
According to Sky At Night magazine these are "medium speed" meteors, so a possibility maybe..?

It's a very clear night here in Kent, I'm off outside to have a look...

MartG

20,678 posts

204 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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Very few ( if any ) satellites travel east to West - they are all launched West to East to take advantage of the earth's spin