Green Fireball Over Nottingham: A Two-Second Cosmic Message
Nottingham woke to a brilliant green fireball that flashed across the night for roughly two seconds. At 19:11 UTC, software engineer Nicholas Shanks captured the moment while looking southeast from the Clifton Boulevard bridge. The green streak extended from about 40° above the horizon down to 20°, then vanished in an instant. He notes the sight coincided with the Harvest Moon lighting UK skies this week, a reminder that awe can arrive on the clearest of nights. This was not a meteor shower; it was a sporadic meteor—a rare, random visitor from space that can appear on any clear night.
In This Article:
What happened: A sporadic meteor in Nottingham
A Nottingham resident captured a striking green meteor crossing the night sky on Tuesday. Nicholas Shanks observed the event at 19:11 UTC, looking southeast from the Clifton Boulevard bridge, watching a bright green streak travel from roughly 40° above the horizon to 20° above, for about two seconds. He later shared the moment on X, describing it in detail and adding the dramatic note that it was his first ever sporadic meteor. Experts say it was a sporadic meteor—an unpredictable visitor not tied to any known meteor shower.
Sporadic meteors explained: random visitors from space
Sporadic meteors appear randomly from all directions and lack a single, fixed radiant point like meteor showers do. They are not tied to the debris trails of a specific comet or asteroid. Despite their randomness, their activity varies with the seasons, with higher appearances noted in spring and autumn, and a tendency to peak in the hours before dawn. Scientists believe they originate from dispersed remnants of ancient meteor streams and other cosmic dust along Earth’s orbit. This background helps researchers distinguish sporadic meteors from organized showers and provides a baseline for studying the heavens.
Online witnesses: a chorus of awe and quick reflexes
X users flooded Nicholas Shanks’ post with congratulations and quick praise for the photographer’s timing. CaptainQuack wrote: “Saw it too from West London. Congratulations on swift camera work. An excellent shot!” Tea & Toast added: “My husband saw it when he was driving home from work.” Pierrepotts shared his own experience: “Saw it in Farnham… grabbed some folks walking by to prove I wasn’t going crazy.” The thread showed a shared moment of collective wonder, as strangers connected through a brief, luminous visitor from the night sky.
Looking up under the Harvest Moon: why these moments matter
The Nottingham sighting arrives as the October Harvest Moon lights UK skies, a powerful reminder of how accessible awe can be. Sporadic meteors, though unpredictable, offer a glimpse into the dynamic debris of our solar system and the long history of cosmic dust that still crosses Earth’s path. For skywatchers, it’s a prompt to look up on clear nights, because even a two-second green flare can connect strangers to the vast story of space.
