A meteor was caught on camera streaking across the night sky over Chile’s capital city of Santiago. Researchers from Concepcion University confirmed that the phenomenon, recorded on July 7, was a small body of rock that burned up as it entered Earth’s atmosphere, the BBC reported. The meteor streaked across the sky and opened a huge lens over the city of Santiago. Citing authorities, local media reported that the meteorite broke up in several places before disappearing in the Andes region. Watch the video below: Brazilian media outlet TNH1 reported that residents of the city heard the sound of the meteor streaking through the atmosphere as if it were a thunderous explosion. Separately, astronomer Juan Carlos Beamin, from the Chilean Astronomy Foundation, reported that the meteor passing through Santiago is called “T12.cl.” Mr Beamin explained that a glow was ignited because, on entering the atmosphere, even a “stone, or small rock, by friction with the air, burns and glows”. “We are talking about speeds of 10,000 kilometers per hour,” he added. Also read | Planet Formation Theory upended after new study of Martian meteorite Meanwhile, a meteor sighting in Chile came on the same day a flaming fireball like meteor flashed across the sky over Wellington, New Zealand. According to Reuters, eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing a flash of light as the object passed. Alan Gilmore, an astronomer at the University of Canterbury’s Mount John Observatory, said a meteor descending through the atmosphere at high speed over an urban area was a rare occurrence. He went on to describe the meteorite and said: “This was very brightly lit, so it must have been quite a large object.” Mr Gilmore also informed that the explosion heard by the people indicated that the meteorite had come within 60 kilometers of the Earth. Click for more trending news
