Bright Midnight Meteor Fireball Lights Up Sky over Northeast China

It turned night into day.

What appears to be a dazzling meteor lit up the sky over northeast China on Friday (Oct. 11), appearing as a brilliant fireball in surveillance videos of the event.

The meteor occurred at about 12:16 a.m. Beijing Time, turning night into day and casting dark shadows as it streaked through the sky, according to the state-run CCTV. Videos of the fireball were captured by surveillance cameras in the city of Songyuan in the province of Jilin, as well as by many residents across northeast China, CCTV reported.

The meteor also visible from Heilongjiang Province, the news agency reported.

Scientists with the Purple Mountain Observer, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, are reviewing videos to study the fireball, but there have been no reports of any meteorites found on the ground from the fireball, CCTV reported.

Tariq Malik
Space.com