Mystery 'shooting star' lights up Bangkok sky

It was a rare sight in Bangkok's sky.

On Monday (Nov 2), what appeared to be a shooting star lit up the sky for a mere few seconds, leaving onlookers in awe.

A video clip of the phenomena which occurred at about 8.35pm was posted on the Internet by many who managed to catch it. In the video, a bright blue light flashes and fades almost instantly into the sky.

According to Thai broadcast site Thai PBS, the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) said that the fireball seen in various provinces in Bangkok is believed to be a meteor or a shooting star.

The suspected small meteor caught fire as it penetrated the Earth’s atmosphere, according to Dr Sarun Posayachinda, deputy director of NARIT.

This is not the first time a meteor sighting has been spotted in Bangkok.

On Sept 7 this year, another suspected meteor dashed across Bangkok's skies in broad daylight, in what appeared to be a "fireball followed by a brilliant white flash", reported AFP.

For the Thais, meteors have an ill association to omens, according to a report on AFP.

"It was a bad sign showing the country and the government is in chaos," Facebook user Dilok Jantaradilok wrote with reference to the incident on Sept 7.

stephluo@sph.com.sg