Howardites
Fireballs

I saw a fireball

A fireball is a meteor brighter than the planet Venus: a piece of space rock, usually no bigger than a pebble or a fist, burning up as it plunges into the air at tens of kilometres a second. Tell us what you saw. Reports from several places let the path through the sky be worked out, and sometimes where any surviving pieces fell.

Write it down as soon as you can, before the memory fades. Rough answers are fine, and you can leave out anything you are not sure of. To judge height in the sky, hold your fist out at arm's length: it covers about 10 degrees, so the horizon is 0 degrees and straight overhead is 90.

Your report

When and where

Optional. Your device asks first, and nothing is used unless you press the button.

Which way it went
Where you first saw it
Where it disappeared
What it looked like
Colours you saw (tick any)
Anything else

Your report is kept privately and is not published. If you give an email address, it is used only to ask about this sighting. If you're under 13, ask a parent or guardian before sending a report.

If you find a fresh meteorite

A stone that has just fallen is valuable to science because Earth's air and water have not yet changed it. Photograph it where it lies with something for scale and note the exact spot. Pick it up with a clean plastic bag or foil rather than bare hands, keep it dry and do not test it with a magnet, which can scramble the magnetic record inside. Always ask the landowner's permission before searching, and check the law where you are.

See also

The fireballs pages list large fireballs recorded by government sensors around the world, and Latest has new falls and finds. For other questions, ask Howardites.