“It acted like a shooting star but was distinctively brighter” - mystery surrounds ‘fireball’ seen over coast

The fireball was spotted at Seething Observatory Picutre: Archant

A fireball-like object has confounded stargazers along

the Norfolk coast after it was spotted in the sky above several villages and towns.

The object was seen on Sunday night at Hemsby, Gorleston, Caister, Cromer and at Seething Observatory and came as a meteor group said sightings had also been recorded across England at roughly the same time.

The football-sized fireball like object was seen over Hemsby by a 73-year-old female resident of Beach Road from her home at about 11.25pm.

She said: “It was not a firework. It was not an object, it was a ball of fire. It came from the right and the headed left. Something was coming out of the back, like a rocket does. It was quick. It headed towards the beach. It was not an object.”

The object was also seen by Rob Lumpkin who was at an observatory with fellow astronomers.

He said: “I was at Seething Observatory when I witnessed

the fireball late Sunday night.

It acted like a shooting star

but was distinctively brighter

and had a slightly longer flight path in the sky.

“I was observing facing south and the mystery object was heading from the west to the east low on the horizon but it couldn’t have lasted more than two seconds.

“I was with a group of astronomers which are much more experienced than me but even they couldn’t tell what it was.”

Another person said he believed he has seen the same object in Gorleston and said it had a darkened centre with a huge ball of yellowy fire leaving a trail.

Dale Howell said: “Me and

my friend were in my back

garden in Gorleston at that time and saw it going toward the

beach way. Sadly before we got a chance to get the phones out it was already gone.

“It didn’t really light up the sky but it was very clear. To me it looked like a meteor or similar entering the atmosphere.”

The American Meteor Society said it received nine reports about a fireball seen over England on Sunday at about 10.28pm, but none of the reports came from Norfolk.