Fireballs maybe?

Hi Bart,

OK, thanks. I'll go do a bit more reading then.

If I understand correctly, a fireball is just a very bright meteor and whether it's one or the other is a subjective thing based on how bright it looks?

I am inclined to think that if what I saw really were meteors, and therefore visible right across the country, somone else would have seen them and logged them somewhere.

I'm glad to have seen them but still not sure whether what I saw came from space of from somebody's backyard a few hundred yards away.

Next tme, I'll try and take some notes.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep looking.
Keenan

If I understand correctly, a fireball is just a very bright meteor and whether it's one or the other is a subjective thing based on how bright it looks?

Exactly.

I am inclined to think that if what I saw really were meteors, and therefore visible right across the country, somone else would have seen them and logged them somewhere.

If they were not spectacular fireballs and not during one of the big annual showers people would be likely to be observing it's not likely that anyone in Ireland would have logged them.
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Keenan,

At 21:32 several hundred people attending an Astronomy Ireland event in the Pheonix Park Dublin witnessed a fireball around magnitude -5 (Brighter than anything else in the sky except the moon at the time). The same fireball was caught on camera by Apostolis Christou using an all sky meteor detection camera up at Armagh observatory. It is very likely that this fireball was visible from large parts of the country and as such would have been seen from Kilkenny too.

This is almost certainly one of the events you witnessed.

a fireball is a really big meteor.

Brings back memories of a certain thread from last year!

At 21:32 several hundred people attending an Astronomy Ireland event in the Pheonix Park Dublin witnessed a fireball around magnitude -5 (Brighter than anything else in the sky except the moon at the time).

Thanks Dave - that's good to know. I know I was out later that night but it's entirely possible I was out then too. I'll know to make some notes next time!