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BANGKOK — A vivid, bright fireball was seen streaking across the sky over Thailand's capital Monday, lighting up social media in the process.
People from multiple locations throughout the city reported seeing the mystery fiery object, which passed over Bangkok around 8:40 Monday morning, according to the Bangkok Post. Immediately afterward, incredible pictures and videos of the rush-hour event began popping up on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
The videos show a streaking light and then an explosion in the blue sky. Since there were no reports of aircraft crashes in the area, experts have been weighing in on what it could have been.
"There is a high possibility that the object spotted this morning… on social media is an object from outer space," Saran Poshyachinda, of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, told CNN.
He estimated the object burned up about 62 miles above the ground, based on analysis of the photos and videos.
คลิป เหตุการณ์ลูกไฟระเบิดกลางท้องฟ้าในกรุงเทพมหานคร เครดิต : รวีวัชร์ ตันติเสวี #ไทยรัฐpic.twitter.com/FjVcBTMkkk — Thitapa Siripipat (@Pingz_TRnews) September 7, 2015
"It looks like an asteroid traveling to Earth and grazing through the air and it turned into a fireball," Poshyachinda said.
An official with the Bangkok Planetarium told the Bangkok Post that while it could have been a meteor — there were no reports of an Earth landing. That could be explained by the fact that most meteors burn up before they hit Earth's surface.
The official said it could have been a burning balloon as well.
Satview.org reported that space junk was expected to re-enter the atmosphere right around the time of the Bangkok sighting and that the fireball could have been burning debris returning to Earth.
Experts seem to agree — it came from outer space.
