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| Scotland meteor: 'Bright flash' lights up skies above Aberdeen and Inverness | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Residents in Scotland have been intrigued by a mysterious bright flash that lit up the skies over Aberdeen and Inverness on Monday evening. | Residents in Scotland have been intrigued by a mysterious bright flash that lit up the skies over Aberdeen and Inverness on Monday evening. |
| The phenomenon was described as a "huge flash of bright blue light" by one local resident, and others reported that it was accompanied by a loud sound. | The phenomenon was described as a "huge flash of bright blue light" by one local resident, and others reported that it was accompanied by a loud sound. |
| Seen at around 6:45pm on Monday, there was speculation it could have been a sonic boom. However the majority of people believe it was a meteor breaking up in the atmosphere. | Seen at around 6:45pm on Monday, there was speculation it could have been a sonic boom. However the majority of people believe it was a meteor breaking up in the atmosphere. |
| Police Scotland said they received numerous calls from residents reporting the sighting. Although they were unable to confirm what it was, they ruled out an aircraft being in distress. | Police Scotland said they received numerous calls from residents reporting the sighting. Although they were unable to confirm what it was, they ruled out an aircraft being in distress. |
| Bill Addison, from Moray, told The Independent about the moment he spotted the flash: "I was driving in my car from Cullen to Buckie in Moray, just before the village of Arradoul and there was a huge flash of bright blue light, followed by the meteor falling from the sky." | Bill Addison, from Moray, told The Independent about the moment he spotted the flash: "I was driving in my car from Cullen to Buckie in Moray, just before the village of Arradoul and there was a huge flash of bright blue light, followed by the meteor falling from the sky." |
| Other people took to social media to describe the sighting. On Facebook, Mark Dammer said: "I noticed the sky suddenly lighting up extremely bright for a few seconds." | Other people took to social media to describe the sighting. On Facebook, Mark Dammer said: "I noticed the sky suddenly lighting up extremely bright for a few seconds." |
| "The light was flickering and in a blue-green colour. After about three to five minutes, I could hear two explosions. It sounded like a very low frequency rumble coming from a great distance." | "The light was flickering and in a blue-green colour. After about three to five minutes, I could hear two explosions. It sounded like a very low frequency rumble coming from a great distance." |
| On Twitter, Strathspey resident John Poyner suggested the phenomenon could have been a small asteroid breaking up. | On Twitter, Strathspey resident John Poyner suggested the phenomenon could have been a small asteroid breaking up. |
| Garry Hunter described it to BBC Scotland as “a huge fireball-like trail across the sky”. He added that it seemed to “explode and light up the whole sky”. | Garry Hunter described it to BBC Scotland as “a huge fireball-like trail across the sky”. He added that it seemed to “explode and light up the whole sky”. |
| Sean Batty, a weather forecaster for STV, said he had received tweets from residents located in the north and east of the country, "with people reporting a loud bang and a large flash in the sky". | Sean Batty, a weather forecaster for STV, said he had received tweets from residents located in the north and east of the country, "with people reporting a loud bang and a large flash in the sky". |
| "There are no thunderstorms being reported anywhere in Scotland [on Monday evening], therefore this is not due to a flash of lightning. My only conclusion would be that this is indeed a meteor which has burned up and exploded during entry into our upper atmosphere." | "There are no thunderstorms being reported anywhere in Scotland [on Monday evening], therefore this is not due to a flash of lightning. My only conclusion would be that this is indeed a meteor which has burned up and exploded during entry into our upper atmosphere." |
| Lee Schofield, from the Highland and Islands weather group, told The Independent: "It was most probably a meteorite which came into the earth's atmosphere - it is unusual for them to come so close to earth as this one did." | Lee Schofield, from the Highland and Islands weather group, told The Independent: "It was most probably a meteorite which came into the earth's atmosphere - it is unusual for them to come so close to earth as this one did." |
| "The noise that people heard was it breaking up as it entered our atmosphere. Here in Carrbridge we saw it very clearly as a bright blue light for three or four seconds at 6.45pm followed by a distinct burning smell in the air for a few minutes after. | "The noise that people heard was it breaking up as it entered our atmosphere. Here in Carrbridge we saw it very clearly as a bright blue light for three or four seconds at 6.45pm followed by a distinct burning smell in the air for a few minutes after. |
| He added that it was "a very interesting event, one I have not witnessed in my 42 years". | He added that it was "a very interesting event, one I have not witnessed in my 42 years". |