[BAA-ebulletin 00658] BRIGHT FIREBALL ON 3 MARCH 2012

[BAA electronic bulletins service]

BRIGHT FIREBALL ON 3 MARCH 2012

Many reports are coming in of a bright fireball, visible at about 21:40 UT
on Saturday, 3rd March 2012.  That night the skies were exceptionally clear
over large parts of the UK, and many people had been out observing the nice
display of the Moon and planets visible that evening.

Gerard Gilligan of Liverpool AS reported that about 20-30 members who were
still at the site of the March Wirral Star Party witnessed the magnificent
fireball, which rounded off their very busy and successful evening in
spectacular fashion.

Sightings have so far been received over a wide area extending from Scotland
down through the Lake District to Merseyside. Many eyewitnesses have
reported that the fireball was clearly fragmenting towards the end of the
track. Observations of this fireball from locations on the eastern side of
the Pennines would be particulary useful.

Any BAA members who saw this event, or who may have been contacted by
non-astronomers who witnessed it, are asked to collect as much information
about the sighting as possible and send it either to the BAA Meteor
Section's Fireball Co-ordinator Len Entwisle at len.entwisle at btinternet.com
or to meteor at britastro.org.

Useful information will include the name and location of the observer, the
precise time of the event, the altitude and azimuth of the start and end
points of the visible track, the position of the observed track against the
background stars (or in relation to the waxing gibbous Moon and Mars in the
sky, if seen towards the south-east), and a description of the fireball's
visual appearance, colour, etc. together with any unusual features.

It is clear from some of the reports in the national news media that there 
were other bright meteors visible during the evening of Saturday, 3rd March, 
but this appeal relates particularly to the event occurring at about 21.40 
UT.


This e-bulletin issued by:
John W. Mason, Director, BAA Meteor Section
2012 March 4