Mystery fireball likely a bolide

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Screenshot from Sabah Stargazers Facebook.

KOTA KINABALU: A mysterious fireball flying over parts of Sabah northwest coast late Monday night have left many people wondering what is actually was.

A number of netizens assumed it was caused by maintenance works by Petronas at the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) but the notice for the works was dated next week, ‪August 24th to 29th.‬

Meanwhile, according to Sabah Stargazers, the mystery fireball was most likely a bolide passing through the sky.

“We are lucky because this bolide/fireball is not as big as bolide/fireball that hit Russia in 2013.

“We will update more details on the bolide/fireball after getting more information as there is no reliable sources at the moment,” it said in Facebook account.

Sabah Stargazers is a non-profit organization, aiming to create awareness to the public about the importance of astronomy and preserverence of Sabah dark skies.

Referring to meteor terminology by American Meteor Society, bolide is the light emitted by a large meteorid or an asteroid as it is explodes in the atmosphere.

It is a phenomenon that is not unusual.

In 2013, a small asteroid broke up over the city of Chelyabinsk, injured about 1,200 people.

The Borneo Post contacted the Malaysian National Security Council (NSC) Sabah office and asked if there is any threat to the public, and an officer has confirmed that there is no alert issued with regards to the mysterious fireball.

Checks with the Sabah Meteorological Department pointed to the possibility of a shooting star or meteor shower.