Flare off West Iceland “probably a meteorite”

Photo: Iceland Monitor/Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson

The visible flare spotted off the northern coast of the West Iceland peninsula of Snæfellsnes this morning was probably meteorite or a shooting star.

Rescue teams in the area were sent out at 7:30 this morning after reported sights of what witnesses thought was a distress flare out at sea.

A rescue vessel and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene, despite there have been no reports of any missing boats in the area. The Icelandic Coast Guard also requested nearby vessels to monitor the area.

The search was called off around 11am, and it is now considered likely that what was seen was not a distress flare at all, but a shooting star or a meteorite.

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