Mexico’s The capital was illuminated by a brilliant object around 3 AM on Wednesday, startling numerous residents who believed they were seeing a meteorite. This luminous streak extended across the plains, volcanoes, and small towns, drawing attention from nearly everybody in the area. Mexico city.
Videos capturing a fiery orb streaking across the nation and bursting into a brilliant flash above its capital have left numerous people astonished, concerned, and puzzled. However, scientists across Mexico they quickly pointed out that the object streaking through the sky was not a meteorite; it was actually a bolide.
According to NASA, bolides are "highly luminous meteors that are so bright they can be observed across an extensive region."
Mario Rodríguez, a physician specializing in space science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, mentioned that it might alternatively be termed a meteoroid, which is essentially a piece of a meteor.
Shooting stars similar to the one that streaked across the Mexican sky early Wednesday ignite as they plummet towards Earth.
Due to immense pressure on the object, it starts flashing with an elongated trail and emits light," explained Rodríguez, who is part of a team of researchers examining the footage that stunned numerous Mexicans. Unlike meteorites, which hit the ground, he noted that a bolide breaks apart in the atmosphere instead.
He mentioned that this specific meteoroid was approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and did not pose any risk to the general population.
Once people learned about the nature of the object and felt secure, many turned to the internet as the bolide sparked an influx of memes spreading across social media platforms.
"No, the exploding meteorite from last night doesn’t give you permission to reach out to your former partner," read one post on X alongside a GIF showing dinosaurs navigating through a meteor shower. Before long, images depicting the fireball merged with cartoon figures along with various political satire posts began circulating online.
Less common than an average meteor, bolides appear extraordinarily luminous because of the pressure and heat they encounter when entering Earth’s atmosphere. Typically, these celestial bodies stand out as they shine more brightly than the moon in the evening sky.
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