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| Meteor spotted in night sky in England and Wales | Meteor spotted in night sky in England and Wales |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| People have reported seeing a bright light, thought to be a meteor, in the sky in parts of England and Wales. | People have reported seeing a bright light, thought to be a meteor, in the sky in parts of England and Wales. |
| Sightings of the celestial body were reported on Twitter in areas such as Cornwall, Hampshire, Lancashire, south Wales and Worcestershire. | Sightings of the celestial body were reported on Twitter in areas such as Cornwall, Hampshire, Lancashire, south Wales and Worcestershire. |
| Suzy Buttress, of Basingstoke, described witnessing the bright light as a "once in a lifetime thing". | Suzy Buttress, of Basingstoke, described witnessing the bright light as a "once in a lifetime thing". |
| One scientist said it could have been a "random small piece of rock, probably from the asteroid belt". | One scientist said it could have been a "random small piece of rock, probably from the asteroid belt". |
| 'Ball with tail' | 'Ball with tail' |
| Ms Buttress, who was driving home on the M3 when she saw the light, told the BBC: "It was amazing, so big, bigger than a shooting star. It had a strange greenish tinge to it, with a definite tail behind it. | Ms Buttress, who was driving home on the M3 when she saw the light, told the BBC: "It was amazing, so big, bigger than a shooting star. It had a strange greenish tinge to it, with a definite tail behind it. |
| "This was definitely a ball with a tail. It took its time going across the sky. It went behind a cloud, then came out the other end. | "This was definitely a ball with a tail. It took its time going across the sky. It went behind a cloud, then came out the other end. |
| "At first I hoped it wasn't an aircraft crashing. It's a once in a lifetime thing." | "At first I hoped it wasn't an aircraft crashing. It's a once in a lifetime thing." |
| Richard Escott, a security supervisor for the BBC in Cardiff, explained what he saw. | Richard Escott, a security supervisor for the BBC in Cardiff, explained what he saw. |
| "I was standing outside having a bit of fresh air and as I turned round I saw this very bright blue light which was dimming," he said. | "I was standing outside having a bit of fresh air and as I turned round I saw this very bright blue light which was dimming," he said. |
| "It was coming very steadily, progressing across the night sky, but it was at sort of building level and then died out to nothing. I saw it for about five, 10 seconds." | "It was coming very steadily, progressing across the night sky, but it was at sort of building level and then died out to nothing. I saw it for about five, 10 seconds." |
| 'Random fireball' | 'Random fireball' |
| Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen's University Belfast Astrophysics Research Centre, said the light was probably a "random fireball". | Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen's University Belfast Astrophysics Research Centre, said the light was probably a "random fireball". |
| Though meteors from Halley's Comet can be seen at this time of year, he said it did not come from the comet. | Though meteors from Halley's Comet can be seen at this time of year, he said it did not come from the comet. |
| He said: "When we see meteors coming from Halley's Comet, they come from a particular point in the sky - only above the horizon. Therefore we only see them in the very early hours of the morning, in the hours before dawn. | He said: "When we see meteors coming from Halley's Comet, they come from a particular point in the sky - only above the horizon. Therefore we only see them in the very early hours of the morning, in the hours before dawn. |
| "It was probably a random fireball - a small piece of rock from an asteroid belt." | "It was probably a random fireball - a small piece of rock from an asteroid belt." |