2008-11-10 - Handforth, Wilmslow, Cheshire (UK/England) - Fireball

Orange fireball over North East Cheshire moving South to North

I was standing in my garden facing East looking at the Moon. I heard a large aircraft sound approaching and looked to the East and noticed a large aircraft flying Westwards with a small smoke trail.

As I was watching the aircraft I saw a bright orange/yellow light in the sky to the South. I turned to look at the light and initially thought it was a low flying aircraft on final approach for Manchester Airport.

However, the light was moving very quickly in a straight line from the South and I watched pass in front of my position to the North retaining its straight line trajectory.

I finally saw the light disappear into the haze of the city lights of Manchester after about one minute of viewing.

There was no sound of any engines other than the large Westward bound aircraft flying overhead. I cannot tell whether this object passed under the aircraft flight path or over it. I could not make out a definite shape but the light never brightened or dimmed - it looks to me like the exhaust of a Shuttle taking off.

I cannot estimate its speed but when I first saw the light it was perhaps over or a little to the South East of Wilmslow, Cheshire and it took one minute to pass from there and disappear in the city lights haze of Manchester some 12 miles to the North.