The Great Meteor of 1783
A slow, glowing procession of fireballs crossed Britain on a summer night, and was painted from the terrace of Windsor Castle.
What was reported
On the evening of 18 August 1783, a bright fireball crossed Britain from Scotland towards the south-east, breaking into a train of glowing pieces. It was seen across the country and on the continent.
The artists Thomas and Paul Sandby watched it from the terrace of Windsor Castle and made a well-known picture of it. It was already a strange year: a dry haze from the Laki eruption in Iceland had hung over Europe all summer.
Explanations offered
It was a large meteor grazing the atmosphere on a long, shallow path, like the Great Meteor Procession of 1913. Scientists of the time, including Charles Blagden of the Royal Society, collected accounts and estimated its height and speed, an early step in the study of meteors.
- When
- 18 August 1783
- Where
- Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England
- Witnesses
- People across Britain, including the Sandby brothers
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.