- 14 Mar 2002
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The Kagoshima Local Meteorological Observatory reported that sensors on Sakurajima detected a sonic wave at around 11:08 p.m., coinciding with the moment the light was seen in the sky. The flash was confirmed at several sites across Kagoshima Prefecture, and officials said the phenomenon was most likely a fireball or meteorite. Maeda Toshihisa, director of the Sendai Space Museum in Satsumasendai City, noted that the burst of light was so intense it briefly illuminated Sakurajima at night, adding that he believed it to be a fireball, one of the brightest classes of meteors.
www.theguardian.com
www.space.com
www.bbc.com
Fireball lights up sky over western Japan
Flash of light visible for hundreds of miles was an exceptionally bright meteor, say experts
Watch a bright fireball explode above Japan, turning night to day (video)
The fireball lit up the skies over southern Japan on Aug. 19.
Watch: Moment fireball lights up night sky in Japan
The skies above southern Japan were illuminated late on Tuesday evening after dust or asteroid fragments burnt up in the atmosphere.
www.bbc.com
