A fireball that appeared over the Indian state of Kerala has baffled local residents and scientists alike.
Indian government scientists have been working to discover the origin of the fireball.
Scientists have concluded that the fireball was likely caused by a meteor, but some say it may have been created by falling satellite or rocket debris, according to DNA India.
“High specific gravity of the charred remains and presence of iron and nickel in them are the basic characteristic of a meteor, but we can reach a conclusion only after a battery of tests which will take at least a week or so to be completed,'' Geological Survey of India scientist K.P. Praveen was quoted as saying by the website.
According to NDTV, the night sky fireball triggered panic in several districts in Kerala.
“Our primary assessments point to the possibility of a meteor. The objects we collected from the spot have high specific gravity. Though they are small in size, it has more than normal weight,” Sekhar Kuriakose, a scientist from the State Disaster Management Authority, was quoted by the broadcaster as saying.
Sekhar noted the objects had “brilliant streaks” because of the presence of iron and nickel.
“It is just a primary assessment and we cannot arrive at a concrete conclusion with this. We will hand over the collected samples to Geological Survey of India for further examination. We can arrive at a conclusion only after detailed examination,” he added.
