Stargazers share footage of huge meteor spotted over UK

Meteor spotted over London, Hertfordshire and Wolverhampton at about 8pm

A meteor captured on a doorbell camera by Laura from Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire. PA
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A meteor streaked across the UK sky on Monday evening, amazing stargazers.

“Reports of a meteor in the sky over the UK just now. If you managed to take any footage, we’d love to see it,” tweeted the Met Office.

The public responded with clips and reports from London, Hertfordshire and Wolverhampton, among others.

Laura, who did not wish to give her surname, from Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, caught the flying object on camera at about 8pm from her front room.

Her video showed a light streaking through the sky above a residential area for a little less than 10 seconds before disappearing from view.

“I had just turned my computer off and looked up out of the window — it was perfect timing,” she said.

“It wasn’t like a shooting star I have seen in the past. It seemed overwhelmingly close.

“It was large in the sky, orange with an orange blaze behind it, not what I would describe as a long shooting star tail but a shorter orange one.

“Then it just disappeared … popped out of the sky. It seemed like it hadn’t really happened. I tried to tell my husband but they didn’t quite believe my account!”

Meteor seen over UK — in pictures

A Met Office spokesman said the time of day and clear skies contributed to the quality of the sightings.

Updated: January 10, 2023, 5:26 AM