A fireball-like phenomenon was briefly observed on Sunday at around 18:50 in the skies over Belgium and neighbouring countries.
The object was likely a "bolide," a type of meteor that enters Earth's atmosphere and disintegrates, explained Marc Van den Broeck from the Urania Observatory.
Due to clear weather and the presence of many people outdoors, the event attracted considerable attention. Shortly after the flash was seen, dozens of reports from Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands were submitted to the International Meteor Organisation.
According to initial observations, the meteor travelled from southwest to northeast, with an estimated entry altitude of 70 kilometres and a speed of about 100,000 km/h, according to Van den Broeck.
The atmospheric entry caused friction, making the meteor glow before it broke apart and extinguished.
It remains unclear if the object was a natural meteorite or a fragment of space debris. Amateur astronomer Raoul Lanoix noted that its brightness suggested it was around 3 to 4 centimetres in diameter, significantly larger than typical shooting stars, which measure less than half a centimetre.
If the object was natural, it was likely composed of iron and nickel. However, accounts suggest it fragmented into multiple pieces, which Lanoix said is unusual for natural meteors.
Van den Broeck reassured that the phenomenon posed no danger, though such bright, twilight events are rare – most observations occur at night or early in the morning.
