Mysterious light streaks across northern Vietnam’s night sky

At around 6:00 pm, people in various parts of northern Vietnam spotted and captured images of the mysterious light as it travelled at high speed across the sky before vanishing.

Van, a resident of Lao Cai Province, said she witnessed the phenomenon shortly after sunset.

“I saw a light moving incredibly fast,” she recounted.

“The front of the streak was white, while its tail had a pale yellow glow. It was a beautiful sight.”

The unusual sight sparked speculation among residents.

Some believed it was a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere and producing a bright shooting star, while others suggested it could have been a falling satellite.

Dang Vu Tuan Son, president of the Vietnam Astronomy & Cosmology Association, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Monday that based on the images circulating online, the light streak was almost certainly a meteor.

It was an unusually large meteor, which would explain its exceptional brightness and longer visibility compared with ordinary meteor showers, he said.

Although meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere every day, particularly large and exceptionally bright ones, known as fireballs, are not frequently observed and recorded by the public.

“It is quite rare for people to witness such a phenomenon directly and manage to capture it on video or in photographs,” Son said.

Meanwhile, an astronomy researcher told Tuoi Tre that no official information was available to definitively identify the object responsible for the light streak over northern Vietnam.

However, after examining the images shared online, the researcher said a meteorite fragment was the more likely explanation.

“Judging by its shape and the way the light appeared, I lean towards the possibility that it was a meteorite.

“However, this is only an initial assessment. More information and observational data are needed before a definitive conclusion can be reached.”

Rare astronomical spectacle

Son explained that when an object from space enters Earth’s atmosphere, interactions with atmospheric gases and the intense heating associated with its high-speed passage cause it to glow.

The luminous streak visible from the ground is known as a meteor shower.

If part of the object survives its passage through the atmosphere and reaches Earth’s surface, the remaining material is called a meteorite.

However, the likelihood of an object surviving atmospheric entry and reaching the ground is relatively low.

In the case of the phenomenon recorded in Vietnam, there have been no reports of meteorite fragments being found on the ground.

This suggests that the object was most likely burned up or disintegrated before reaching Earth’s surface.

“This is a rather interesting astronomical phenomenon. Such light streaks can create a truly beautiful spectacle when observed directly,” Son said.

Light-producing phenomena of this kind are relatively rare in Vietnam, said the astronomy researcher.