Bright fireball explodes above the island of Mayotte
A meteor exploded over the island of Mayotte, South Indian Ocean on February 18, 2019, sparking panic among residents.
According to a statement released by the Mayotte Prefecture, the explosion took place at 21:30 local time (18:30 UTC).
"Some of the testimonies collected suggest a bright fireball in the Mahoran sky. However, emergency services, police, and firefighters said no particular event occurred in the territory," officials said.
All aerial and maritime information provided by the specialized services suggest that the observed phenomenon took place at sea, off the coast of Mahor.
At this point, the Prefecture is trying to confirm this hypothesis and precisely locate the impact using astronomical observations of the area.
One of the residents reported a very bright meteor, traveling from Labattoir to the sea.
23h05. Je me permets de partager deux photos publiées sur Fb d’un confrère de @mayottela1ere #Mayotte pic.twitter.com/SBqyyyvy3q
— Abby Said Adinani (@Bee_Mondroha) February 18, 2019
If you witnessed this event, please report it to the International Meteor Organization (IMO) using the following form.
Please note that some of the videos and pictures circulating social media, like the one below, are NOT of the Mayotte fireball.
Tuscon, AZ fireball on June 2, 2016
Featured image credit: Abby Said Adinani
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