22 September 2012 Last updated at 08:49 ET
Coastguards in Northern Ireland took calls from people who saw the objects
from Coleraine on the north coast, to Strangford Lough in the south east.
The lights were seen as far north as Caithness in Scotland as well as in
Wales and Norfolk in East Anglia.
Experts said the sightings could be satellite debris, burning up on entry to
the atmosphere.
The lights have also been reported in the Midlands, parts of north-east
England and in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Brian Guthrie in Grangemouth near Edinburgh, who watched the objects pass
through the sky, said it appeared to be something "pretty large breaking up in
the atmosphere".
"I've seen shooting stars and meteor showers before, but this was much larger
and much more colourful."
A flash of light caught the eye
of Craig Usher, who snapped the object over Loch Thom in Greenock,
Scotland.
Sightings of the meteor shower
began at around 23:00 BST across the UK. Conor Ledwith was taking photos of the
night sky when the 'fireball' streaked across the sky.
Iain Lewis accidentally photographed the meteor while taking pictures of the night sky in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Read more at - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19683687
People across the country report their sightings
People from across the UK have
reported seeing bright objects in the night sky, thought to be meteors or "space
junk"
A flash of light caught the eye
of Craig Usher, who snapped the object over Loch Thom in Greenock,
Scotland. Sightings of the meteor shower
began at around 23:00 BST across the UK. Conor Ledwith was taking photos of the
night sky when the 'fireball' streaked across the sky. Iain Lewis accidentally photographed the meteor while taking pictures of the night sky in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Read more at - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19683687
