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Did You See That? A Fireball Just Lit Up the Night Sky

A flash of light streaked across the night sky in southern Japan late on August 19, startling residents and triggering speculation of a meteor or fireball.

At 11:08 pm, a surveillance camera installed on Sakurajima in Tarumi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, captured the sky suddenly glowing white. The burst of light was so intense that for a few seconds the camera feed resembled broad daylight before quickly returning to darkness.

Residents across Kyushu, including Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto, as well as parts of western Japan such as Osaka, reported seeing the phenomenon. Social media filled with posts describing “a light crossing the sky,” “the sky lighting up,” and questions like “Was it a giant fireball?” or “Was it a meteorite?”

In Kagoshima City, witnesses said they saw not only the flash but also what looked like an orange object falling through the sky. Footage submitted to MBC Scoop from a balcony in the city showed the light brightening until the whole skyline glowed, followed by a glowing orange trace in the upper corner of the frame.

Some residents in Kagoshima City and Hioki City also reported hearing a loud, explosion-like sound around the same time.

The Kagoshima Regional Meteorological Observatory confirmed that its observation equipment on Sakurajima recorded air vibrations immediately after the light appeared. Multiple monitoring cameras at the observatory also captured the event.

Officials said the cause is still uncertain, but their initial assessment is that the light may have been a fireball, a very bright meteor. It has not yet been confirmed whether any fragments reached the ground as a meteorite.

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