On Monday, a large meteor fell over Bangkok, Thailand in the middle of the day. It exploded before reaching the ground, creating a stunning display. The incident was captured on several dashboard cameras. Despite fears that it was an exploding airplane, astronomers have confirmed that it was a bolide, which is an exploding meteor. The Sydney Morning Herald (auto-start video) reports:
But Thailand's Astronomical Society confirmed it was a rare phenomenon called a "bolide" or exploding meteor that came with a thunderous roar across the sky near Bangkok on Monday.
Society president Prapee Wiraporn said the meteor was extraordinary because it was very bright and seen in daytime.
"This is a natural, normal phenomenon because small meteors fall to earth every day but what we saw was similar to one over Chelyabinsk in Russia two years ago," she said.
-via Bruce Martin