A rare meteor event lit up the skies over southern Japan on August 19, turning night into day for a brief moment. The fireball was captured on surveillance cameras and dashcams in the western cities of Kagoshima and Kumamoto, as well as at Osaka’s Kansai Airport.
The meteor emitted a series of green-blue flashes before ending with a final orange-red flare, breaking apart as it neared the horizon. Social media footage showed that the fireball was visible to the naked eye and overwhelmed some camera sensors.
Fireballs occur when hunks of ancient space debris collide with Earth’s atmosphere, burning up in a dramatic display. The Perseid meteor shower is currently active, but it’s unclear whether the August 19 event was related to a shower or a random piece of space debris striking the atmosphere.
Space.com invites readers to share their photos of fireballs and discuss the latest space news on its forums.
Source: https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/bright-fireball-japan-video-aug-19