A ‘fireball’ lights up Mexico City skies, sparking awe and plenty of memes

A luminous object falling from space illuminated the skies above Mexico’s capital at approximately 3 a.m. on Wednesday, spreading across plains, volcanoes, and small towns. Footage of a fiery orb streaking through the sky and vanishing in a burst of light above Mexico City amazed many and swiftly sparked a wave of memes on social media. Some humorously cautioned against using the meteorite explosion as a reason to contact an ex, with images of dinosaurs walking through a meteor shower accompanying the message.

Subsequently, the internet was flooded with edited photos of the fireball featuring cartoon characters and political jests. Mexican scientists were prompt to clarify that the object streaking through the sky was not a meteorite but rather a bolide, which NASA defines as exceptionally bright meteors visible over a large area. Mario Rodríguez, a space science expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, suggested that it could also be classified as a meteoroid or a fragment of a meteor.

Bolides, like the one observed in Mexican skies early on Wednesday, ignite as they descend towards Earth. Due to intense pressure, these objects start to glow, leaving behind a luminous tail. Rodríguez explained that unlike meteorites, which make impact with the Earth, bolides disintegrate in the atmosphere. The meteoroid in question was estimated to be about 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length and was deemed non-threatening to the public.