SciBuff.com

Hundreds of reports flooded astronomical societies in the Netherlands and Germany yesterday, as people observed a brilliant fireball in the evening’s twilight skies. Below is a spectacular photo taken by Robert Mikaelyan.

Fireball Meteor Over Groningen - Source: Robert Mikaelyan

Astronomy Ireland has received hundreds of reports of a brilliant exploding fireball in the sky at around 20:00 UTC on Thursday, September 3, 2009. Witnesses said that the bolide lit up the sky for several seconds. Shortly afterward, when the slower traveling sound waves reached the stunned observers, a huge explosion was heard.

Astronomy Ireland chairman David Moore said:

So far, reports have been registered by residents in west Cork, Kerry, Cavan and as far north as Donegal, thus suggesting that this spectacular event may have been witnessed by people all over the country.

The group is currently attempting to determine possible locations where meteorite fragments could be found. If any parts of the space rock are located, they will be the second meteorite fragments recovered in Ireland since 1865 (a meteorite crashed in Ireland at around 22:10 UTC on November 28, 1999, and its remnants have been found in the county of Carlow).