What should I do if I see a fireball?
Note the time, where in the sky it started and ended, how long it lasted and anything you heard, then report it quickly to a fireball or meteor network. Many reports together let scientists work out its path.
First, enjoy it: a bright fireball is one of the most spectacular sights in nature. Then, while the memory is fresh, write down as much as you can. Scientists can do remarkable things with careful eyewitness notes.
The most useful details are simple. Record the time as exactly as possible, your location and which way you were facing, and where the fireball started and ended, using landmarks, compass directions and its height above the horizon (a fist held at arm's length covers about 10 degrees of sky). Count how many seconds it lasted, and note its brightness, colours, and whether it flared, broke up or left a trail. Listen too: booms or rumbles a few minutes later suggest it came low, which matters for meteorite recovery.
Then report it. Many countries have meteor or fireball networks that collect public reports, and an international meteor organisation gathers them worldwide. In the UK, several camera groups work together in the UK Fireball Alliance. Combining many reports from different places allows the path to be triangulated. Check whether your dashcam, doorbell camera or security camera caught it; footage is extremely valuable.
If the fireball was low and bright, a meteorite may have landed. Do not rush off searching on other people's land; leave it to organised teams, who will ask landowners for permission. If you do happen to find a fresh, black-crusted stone, do not handle it with bare hands, do not cut, wash or test it, and do not use a magnet on it. Photograph it where it lies, note the location, pick it up with clean foil or a clean bag, and contact a museum or university quickly.