Rocky horror show! Mystery as fiery ‘meteor’ slams into island

• Fireball seen streaking through sky over remote Scots community 
• Scientists launch bid to locate fragments of debris from crash site 

It is a sleepy island whose 163 residents enjoy a slow pace of life.

But now Gigha could become a magnet for meteorite hunters after a fireball streaked through the sky and reportedly crashed into a field on Tuesday evening.

The tiny island, off the coast of Kintyre, is home to just one café and a single pub.

However, meteorologists, star-gazers and amateur meteorite hunters are now vying to find out if a fragment can be found.

Residents reported the event to the UK Meteor Network, which was inundated with accounts of sightings of a flying ball of flame.

A meteor crashed into a field in Gigha, off the coast of Kintyre

Gigha could become a magnet for meteor hunters after a fireball streaked through the sky and crashed into a field 

Shocked Gigha local Roger Glover described the burning meteor landing in a field. He wrote in his report to UK Meteor Network: ‘[It] landed burning and a bonfire-size fire started then died. I am concerned in case it’s radioactive.’

Another Gigha resident reported seeing a ‘small fragment’. Ellie Logan posted: ‘Did anyone else see a “falling star” crossing south end of island around 4.40pm?

I was on way back from dog walk and moved to side to avoid a car and caught something burning out into the field.’

Space debris is called a meteor when it enters Earth’s atmosphere and starts to burn. Any part which lands is then called a meteorite.

The bright flash appeared around 5pm on Tuesday and even residents from across Glasgow and Stirling described seeing a bright ‘greenish blue’ light that split into two or three parts and glowed ‘yellowish for a second’.

Luke Daley, a lecturer in planetary geoscience at the University of Glasgow said the meteor was not part of a wider meteor shower and was likely an isolated event.

Amateur meteorite hunter Rob Elliott said that, because of their rare nature, British meteorites can sell for up to £20,000.

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