Just the other day in Bangkok, Thailand, a strange object was seen in the sky: a mysterious explosion which caught the attention of motorists and city residents.
Immediately, theories and rumors began: the object had been a downed aircraft. No, it was a shooting star. Oh my gosh, could it be an alien invasion?! Or perhaps, even the dreaded asteroid apocalypse?!
Argh! Head for the hills. They’re here!!
Upon closer inspection, the odd exploding object was what’s known as a “bolide,” which is a fancy way of saying an extremely bright meteor.
The airborne explosion appeared around 8:40 a.m. on Monday, according to The Bangkok Post. Video footage shows a small bright light streak across the sky for about two seconds before it then explodes in a flash.
Between 1994 and 2013 NASA has recorded at least 556 bolide events, and no doubt others are still to come.
