What have we seen in the sky in broad daylight?

Question

Two days ago whilst driving with my brother on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, we both saw a bright, fast-moving, star (shaped and sized) of light travelling extraordinarally fast, vertically down to earth and disappear behind a hill. The hill was approximately 1 mile from us and not very high. We were driving towards the hill and when we rounded it, saw no signs of anything such as physical damage, reflecting light etc.

We argued that it may have been a shooting star, but in broad daylight at 9am? Despite researching possibilities on the internet, we have drawn a blank. Can you help please?

Answer 1

Yes, sounds like a meteor, aka shooting star. If you happen to be close and looking in the right direction, and if it's large enough to get thru most of the atmosphere before it burns up ( or is so large that some of it actually reaches the ground), you can definitely see them in broad daylight.

For something else in space much more predictable that you can see in daylight, go to

http://www.heavens-above.com/

Select your location from the database, then click on "Daytime Iridium flares". The Iridium constellation of satellites are a group of comm sats (actually for cell-to-satellite) that have a large highly reflective dish antenna that is always pointed toward Earth. Once in a week or so from about any location on Earth, you can see one in broad daylight. But the ones just after sunset or just before sunrise are quite a bit more spectacular, and happen about once per day every place on Earth.

Answer 2

Meteors are quite bright at night, and can be so in the daytime as well, and they don't have to be very large to produce a lot of light either.

If it did hit the hill, it may have knocked a few branches off some trees or made a small dent in the ground, or it may not have impacted at all. Did you feel vibrations from an impact? Probably not, which indicates that there either wasn't one, or the piece that impacted wasn't very large.

Most meteorites that survive to strike the earth will fit in the palm of your hand.

Answer 3

A "shooting star" is a term that since the late 70's is called a Meteorite. Which is probably what you saw. If small enough (as is usually the case), they burn out completely in the atmosphere - which leaves nothing to impact on the ground.

Answer 4

Shooting star. They are visible in the daytime. And it almost certainly didn't come within miles of hitting the ground.

Answer 5

It doesnt would desire to be a close-by woodland hearth. I stay in Colorado, and Ive had smoke from the California Fires over the previous couple of summers. Grass burns too, doesnt would desire to be a tree. yet another selection could be dirt. those tend to make extra of a brown, smoggy look, yet its attainable it might desire to turn purple. extreme winds can carry the dirt countless states besides.

Answer 6

Quite possible it was a shooting star. If it was close enough you would see it. They hit the earth all the time.

Answer 7

ET got lost again!

I would have had to stop and take a good look around that hill!

Answer 8

I once saw a meteor flash across the sky in the daytime........it was brighter than the sun..........I've also seen UFO's

Answer 9

It's most certainly a shooting star!

Answer 10

It's something we all know about, ostensibly this was done for your benefit, no it was nothing about hocus pocus, and consistently everyone takes attitude of the bright wayfaring stranger innocent of all knowledge.