Meteor mystery 'a load of hot air'

A METEORIC mystery - akin to the controversy over whether Pluto is a planet or not - was cleared up this week when Claudy man Malcolm McSparran contacted the Sentinel to tell us how he celebrated the New Year.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jan 2010, 09:02 BST
Updated 21st Jan 2010, 09:03 BST

The Sentinel last week reported how a number of Londonderry residents were dazzled by strange lights in the sky late on New Year's Eve.

Prehen resident Jeffrey Gallagher contacted the Sentinel and provided two images of a UFO captured on his iPhone around 8pm on December 31 showing a glowing orange object streaking through the sky above his home.

Corroborated

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A Drumahoe resident also corroborated the sighting that lasted for about one minute. Both men were convinced it was a meteorite although an expert at the Armagh observatory was unconvinced.

Professor Mark Bailey MBE from Armagh Observatory told the Sentinel: "It was almost certainly a Chinese lantern. These are little bags that are lit and as a result fill up with hot air and float away."

The astronomical expert also stated that sightings of what turn out to be Chinese lanterns are being increasingly reported around festive periods.

"It was actually a Chinese lantern. I lit it to celebrate the New Year," said Mr McSparran, the unintentional hoaxer.