Spectacular fireball lights up the sky over Mexico, hits land and sparks a fire

A brilliant fireball blazed over northeastern Mexico around 03:14 UTC on October 7, 2020 (22:14 LT on October 6), leaving witnesses and sky observers startled as the space object put on a spectacular display. The meteorite hit a small town in Tamaulipas, sparking a bush fire, according to local reports.

Residents and night sky enthusiasts were in for a delightful sight as an especially bright meteor exploded over northern Mexico. The fireball was most visible over Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas. 

Some witnesses, security cameras, webcams, and doorbell cameras were able to capture the event as it lit up the sky for more than 20 seconds.

Local reports said the meteorite landed near Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas state. News outlet Milenio reported that the object set fire to bushes in the area where it fell. No injuries and damages were reported.

The Civil Protection agency retrieved several unusual rocks from the incident site for further study.

Featured image credit: @MxSeEntere/Twitter