Brilliant fireball Wednesday evening

[nytecam]

Did anyone see the brilliant fireball at dusk on Wednesday evening? This morning's email from Brit Astro Assoc quotes....

Reports are coming in of a brilliant fireball, visible in twilight at about
16:07 UT on Wednesday, 7th December 2011. The event occurred less
than 20 minutes after sunset so the sky was still very bright, but by a
fortunate coincidence it appeared in the same part of the sky as Jupiter and
the waxing gibbous Moon, both of which were visible at the time.

Sightings have so far only been received from observers in Kent, Essex and
Suffolk, but it is likely that the event would have been visible from most
of South-Eastern England, as well as across the Channel in Belgium and the
Netherlands.

According to Malcolm Beasley of Folkestone, Kent the fireball was "very
bright, much brighter than the Moon in the same area of sky and appeared a
brilliant white in still daylight, clear sky conditions. There was no
obvious sound associated with the sighting. It appeared to leave a very
short, high altitude, white vapour trail which slowly dispersed to the
east.".....

Your observations are important - post here and I'll forward to BAA

[Wild-Woman]

What might that have been then?

[Wild-Woman]

PS About that time, I was on the QE2 Bridge crossing the Thames but didn't notice anything.

[nytecam]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

PS About that time, I was on the QE2 Bridge crossing the Thames but didn't notice anything.

Best to keep eye on road ahead especially on a high bridge

[Wild-Woman]

It took about half hour at a couple of miles an hour, so not exactly rushing along.

The view from the top of the bridge is extensive- many, many miles so this is why I mentioned it. Travelling south, you have great view of the east and south east where the light was seen. Wish I had witnessed it.

[wanlock dod]

Was it part of the meteor shower? We saw quite a few shooting stars last night, but it was much later.

[nytecam]

Originally Posted by wanlock dod

Was it part of the meteor shower? We saw quite a few shooting stars last night, but it was much later.

Sorry for the absence of necessary terminology hereabouts but a fireball is very brilliant meteor [shooting star] not associated with any annual meteor shower eg a one off. However with enough precise reports its orbit can be traced back into space to maybe connect it to other similar events or maybe a comet or space hardware decay etc.