JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Marcus
posted at Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:05:48 :-

I'm not even an amateur astronomer, just an interested lay person.
I think I just saw a meteor for the first time in my life:
An object of a brightness between Sirius and Venus
Falling 'out of the sky' to the NE Horizon (no tail)
from 50:56:39N 3:55:13W

Might I be correct?

Yes.

No current Earth satellite (the Moon excepted) is that bright, apart
from ISS & Iridium flares. ISS has an alibi.

Roughly and generally, a satellite is seen as a stationary object
changing its position at a rate that would cross the sky in a few
minutes; not like falling; but a meteor looks like a vary fast-moving
object or a sudden streak; an Iridium flare (a reflection from a solar
panel) moves at satellite speeds, but the brightness rises and falls
over about ten seconds at most.

OTOH, ISTM that it could possibly be an aircraft, probably military.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.