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A Twitter user in the city of Izmir in Turkey shared the incredible images that appeared to show the sky lighting up a brilliant green before the object scrambled to the ground.
The videos have sparked speculation about what the object might be, with some suggesting it is satellite or intergalactic junk and others choosing to believe it could be aliens .
Fingers crossed for aliens, eh? I think that’s exactly what 2021 needs, to be honest.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion next to the celestial light show, which could have been the object shattering upon entering Earth’s atmosphere or the sound of it hitting the bridge at high speed.
Posting on Twitter, a resident said: “A strange and shiny object believed to be rocket debris has crashed in Turkey. Satellite?”
While another wrote: “UFOs have been seen in the sky.”
However, before you take your tin foil hat, astrophysics professor Dr Hasan Ali Dal shared his expert – if not quite less exciting – opinion.
Posting on Twitter, he said the vivid colors were caused by a “fireball,” which occurs when a meteor begins to burn as it enters the planet’s atmosphere.
He explained, “It usually burns in the upper atmosphere.
“This should be considered a more specific version of the phenomenon known as the shooting star among people and it is often experienced during times of meteor showers.”
The meteor could be part of the Perseid meteor shower, which occurs every year in July and August.
The annual event occurs when Earth passes through an area filled with debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle.
These meteors usually burn out before they land, but it can be a very good time of year to try and spot one in the sky as during rush hour dozens of meteors can be seen every hour.
If you fancy a glimpse of one, earthsky.com estimates the best days to be August 11, 12, and 13.
To give yourself the best chance of seeing one, head to an area with low light pollution before dawn.
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