Slow moving, very bright fireball turns sky green over Argentina

A slow moving and very bright fireball was observed and recorded over Argentina around midnight UTC on July 31, 2015 (21:00 local time on July 30). 

Observers say the spectacle lasted about 10 seconds, turning the whole sky green. No sound was associated with the event. 

According to media reports, the bright object could be clearly seen from Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires, Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as neighboring Uruguay. 

Geoffrey Wyatt, acting manager of Sydney Observatory, said for 9news.com.au that after viewing the video he was 99 percent sure it was a typical fireball or meteor. "These things are remarkably common, but it is quite remarkable that anyone is in the area with a camera pointing in the right direction," Wyatt said.

"It’s almost impossible to say how big it is, but you have to think basketball sized, grapefruit sized, probably under a meter."

 Wyatt said the green is a signature point of oxygen in the atmosphere. "If you ionise oxygen it will glow green like that – the cloud may have diffused the light," he explained.

Featured image credit: Subrayado HD.