Rare meteor breaks up over India, lights up skies in Delhi, Gurugram

On Friday night, a brilliant meteor lighted up the skies over New Delhi, causing locals to be in amazement and igniting a wave of excitement on social media.

Several cities, including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and as far as Aligarh, were able to witness the brilliant streak of light, which was followed by what seemed to be the meteor shattering in mid-air. Videos of a blazing trail shooting across the night sky before breaking up into tiny luminous fragments soon appeared on social media channels. Some users called the incident one of the brightest meteors they had ever seen, while another likened it to a “shooting star explosion.”

According to astronomy specialists, the incident was most likely a bolide, a kind of meteor that, when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, explodes into pieces because of extreme heat and friction. Meteors are common, but a bright occurrence that is visible to so many people is exceptional.

Since most meteors break apart before they hit the ground, no damage was anticipated. Although single fireball-like meteors can be spotted outside of projected showers, the American Meteor Society had previously stated that September is a busy month for smaller meteor showers. The fragmentation and brightness observed in Delhi point to a big asteroid from space igniting spectacularly.

Astronomy experts say the event was probably a bolide, a type of meteor that bursts into fragments due to intense heat and friction as it strikes the Earth’s atmosphere.   Meteors happen frequently, but a bright event that is so widely observable is unique.

No damage was expected, as most meteors disintegrate before they reach the ground.   The American Meteor Society had previously said that September is a busy month for minor meteor showers, while individual fireball-like meteors can be seen outside of predicted showers.   The brightness and fragmentation seen in Delhi suggest a large space asteroid burning spectacularly.