Thursday 28 March 2024
 7°C   E Moderate Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Nature / Stunning footage of a meteor over Shetland

LOCAL astronomers have said that a fireball seen over Sumburgh Airport on Friday evening was a sporadic meteor.

The stunning footage was captured by several webcams positioned at Sumburgh Head as part of efforts to promote the isles to a worldwide audience.

Owner of Shetland Webcams, Andy Steven, said he saw the meteor while driving.

“I actually saw this on the way north to Lerwick in my car just before Sandwick and it certainly gave me a bit of a fright,” he said.

Trondra based stargazer Chris Brown said the meteor is called a fireball because it is brighter than the planet Venus which can be seen very clearly in the southern sky.

“There are many meteors too faint to see but occasionally you get a very bright one,” he said.

“A meteor is a speck of dust from our solar system that hits the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up.

“The brightness of the meteor depends on the size of the speck of dust, the speed it is travelling and how deep it goes in to the Earths atmosphere

“There are clouds, so the brightness of the meteor, as we see it on the video, may well be changing due to the varying thickness of the clouds. It is very unlikely anything will have landed on the Earth from this meteor.”

Shetland webcams can be found here: https://www.shetlandwebcams.com

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.