[imagesource: NHK News / Twitter]

Earlier this year, a 2018 fireball that lit up the skies over Michigan was back in the news after scientists revealed that it took the meteorite 12 million years to make the journey to our planet.

That journey began after it separated from its parent asteroid, which was formed around 4,5 billion years ago, which is only about 20 million years after the formation of our solar system.

Some of the meteorite remained intact, allowing scientists to study it, and they reckon it’s proof that much of Earth’s organic material was delivered here from space.

On Sunday, another “dazzling fireball” was seen lighting up the skies across large areas of western Japan.

Per Japan Today, the meteor is believed to be a bolide, which is a type of shooting star.

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan says it’s common for a number of meteors to fall every month, but that it’s rare for people to see them and even rarer to see one this bright. It apparently made a loud rumbling noise.

Within hours, 90 sightings were reported.

The ‘fireball’ lasted roughly seven seconds:

In July, a similarly bright shooting star was observed moving from southwest to northeast in the sky above Tokyo.

It was later identified as a meteor after fragments were found in neighbouring Chiba Prefecture.

Let’s see what science uncovers this time.

[source:japantoday]