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Journalism of Courage
On Friday night, the skies over New Delhi put on a spectacular show as a bright meteor blazed across the horizon, leaving residents spellbound and sparking a flurry of excitement online. The glowing streak, which appeared to fragment mid-air, was visible not only in Delhi but also in neighbouring cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and even as far as Aligarh.
Videos soon flooded social media, capturing the fiery trail as it broke into smaller, glowing pieces. Many users described it as a “shooting star explosion,” while others called it one of the brightest meteors they had ever witnessed.
“Just witnessed this incredible fire streak in the night sky. Looks like a meteor or maybe part of a rocket burning up in the atmosphere of nature’s own light show from my rooftop? Did anyone else spot it too?” wrote one X user, sharing a clip of the event. Another resident mentioned recording the phenomenon while returning from work.
Online discussions quickly erupted over what exactly the spectacle was. “Meteor showers don’t look like this; it’s space debris,” one person commented, while another wrote, “This is space waste entering our atmosphere and burning up, mostly could be from a defunct satellite. Looks amazing to watch!” A third user noted, “Yes I seen this at 1 am in Haryana but that was different from this.”
According to astronomy experts cited by India Today, the event was likely a bolide, a type of meteor that breaks into fragments due to intense heat and friction as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere. While meteors are fairly common, such a bright display visible across multiple cities is considered rare.
Authorities confirmed there were no reported impacts from the event.
