FOOTAGE of a huge meteor plummeting towards earth has been captured on a motorists dashcam camera.

Labelled a “significant fireball" by the UK Meteor Network, the meteor was spotted by people across the UK - including in Crawley.

The meteor monitoring organisation said it was picked up by 15 of its camera at 12.39am on Thursday, May 12.

More than 200 public sighting reports were made across the country - including in West Sussex.

Richard Kacerek, founder of UK Meteor Network, said: "Last night at 12.39am, 15 UK Meteor Network cameras picked up a very large meteor event that we call a fireball - a very bright meteor entering Earth's atmosphere over Somerset.

"Visually it was quite spectacular, with a green colour, with the different colours usually pointing to the composition of the meteoroid."

The Argus: Labelled a “significant fireball" by the UK Meteor Network, the meteor was spotted by people across the UK - including in Crawley Labelled a “significant fireball" by the UK Meteor Network, the meteor was spotted by people across the UK - including in Crawley

The meteor was also spotted in Hertfordshire, South Wales, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Birmingham.

Ross Watkins was driving home from his father’s house when he spotted the meteor in the sky near Brockhampton, Herefordshire.

The 34-year-old’s dashcam captured the moment on camera – showing the meteor plummeting towards the ground from space as it entered the Earth's atmosphere.

Ross said it was an "extremely impressive" sight as he drove along the A44.

"It was quite incredible,” he said. "I had just been visiting my father in Worcester and was driving home when I saw this sudden bright light flash across the sky.

"I thought, 'what on earth was that', and pulled over a short time later just to check I wasn't imagining things.

"At first I thought it might have been a shooting star, but it looked way too big for that and when I checked online the UK Meteor Network confirmed what it was.

"It was an extremely impressive sight, and I was really lucky to be in the right place at the right time with clear night skies.

"It's not something I have ever seen before and doubt I will see again, so it was quite special really.”