'Fireball' lights up Japan's night sky

On the night of August 19, a "fireball" streaked across the sky in western Japan, surprising many people and leaving astronomy enthusiasts in awe. However, experts have confirmed that this was a natural phenomenon and not a sign of aliens.

Videos and images circulating on social media show a powerful streak of light appearing in the sky after 11pm on August 19 local time, visible for hundreds of kilometres.

A resident said that while he was driving in Miyazaki prefecture, an unprecedented white light shone straight down from the sky, so bright that he could see the shapes of surrounding houses as clearly as if it were daytime.

Toshihisa Maeda, director of the Sendai Space Museum in Kagoshima Prefecture (southwestern Japan), confirmed that it was a particularly bright meteorite. He said the meteorite appeared to have fallen into the Pacific Ocean .

According to Mr. Maeda, many people felt vibrations in the air and saw the fireball flash by.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), objects that cause fireballs are usually over 1 meter in size.