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Bright fireball disintegrates over Guatemala

meteor-fireball-guatemala-december-28-2016

Image credit: Bright meteor disintegrating Guatemala on December 28, 2016

A bright fireball was observed disintegrating over Central America at 04:30 UTC on December 28, 2016 (22:30 CST on December 27). The event was observed from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Witnesses from Guatemala said they saw up to seven flashes in the sky.

The Salvadoran Association of Astronomy ASTRO said the brilliant fireball that surprised many Salvadorans tonight was also visible from Guatemala City and Managua.

"In our opinion, the sighting at 22:30 was a meteor crossing the sky of Guatemala from south to west," Insivumeh said.

Although most agree the event was a meteor disintegrating, some say the slow nature of event indicates a possible space debris. It was observed for more than 30 seconds.

Read more: Meteor streaks over erupting Turrialba volcano

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