Did you see a ‘meteor’ in sky over Hull?

A LEADING astrophysics professor has spoken out about a “bright orange” object that was pictured flying through the sky above Hull.

People reported seeing the “mysterious burning object” on Sunday evening, leading some to speculate that it could be an asteroid or meteor.

However, Professor Brad Gibson, director of the E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Hull, has thrown his weight behind the object’s origin.

While he admits that more evidence would be needed to make a conclusive decision, Prof Gibson says “the most likely explanation” is that it was in fact a “meteor”.

The belief is that the object was part of the annual Lyrid meteor shower, but that the sighting might not quite be as rare as first believed.

“Without more context, the most likely explanation as to the object reported in the sky over

Hull on Sunday evening is that it was a meteor,” Prof Gibson said.

“Between April 16 and April 25 every year, we see the annual Lyrid meteor shower. During this time period, it is possible you could see anything between 10 and 15 visible per hour in the sky.

“The Lyrid meteor shower is caused by debris which has been left by Comet Thatcher, which last visited the inner Solar System more than 150 years ago in 1861. It is expected to return in the year 2276, and will burn up as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

“As said previously, without more context as to this particular sighting, it is difficult to give a definitive explanation. However, based on the time of year, it is entirely possible that the object reported by residents in Hull formed part of the Lyrid meteor shower.”

Rebecca Holmes was one lucky onlooker who saw it from her garden in Bransholme.

She said : “I was sat in the garden, my husband was doing some gardening and I looked up and it was so bright orange and it was just gliding really slowly like something was burning but it was too slow to be a shooting star.”