Bright fireball streaks through the night sky over Japan
A bright fireball streaked through the night sky over Japan around 12:30 UTC (21:30 JST) on November 21, 2017. The object was visible for a few seconds before it disintegrated in a bright flash.
The event was witnessed by people from both east and west coast of Japan. The Saitama Prefectural Police said they received several phone calls from people claiming to see a 'blue light in the sky' in places such as the city of Kawagoe, north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture.
"Such brightness could be observed only a handful of times in any given year," said Yasuo Shiba, an executive of Nippon Meteor Society. "It lit up for about three seconds. It is almost certainly a fireball," said Shiba, who recorded the night show from Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture. He added that the object was likely part of the Taurids, an annual meteor shower that is observed from October through November.
Video courtesy The Asahi Shimbun
Video courtesy Kyodo
The International Meteor Organization (IMO) received 2 reports, asking people who observed it to report their sighting.
Featured image: Bright fireball over Japan on November 21, 2017. Credit: Kyodo
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