Cirebon’s Night Sky Suddenly Lit Up, Residents Panic Over “Ball of Fire” Sighting
Residents of Cirebon Regency, West Java, were recently startled by the dramatic sighting of a bright object rapidly crossing the sky, which many eyewitnesses described as resembling a giant “ball of fire.” This rare visual phenomenon caused momentary panic and triggered various speculations across social media, ranging from assumptions of a space object to more mystical theories.
The incident occurred at night, when the object’s intense light was so blinding that it briefly made the sky appear as if it were daylight. Residents’ shock was compounded by reports of a rumbling or whizzing sound accompanying the light.
Scientific Investigation: Sporadic Meteor Over the Java Sea
Responding to the public uproar, authorities, including the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), immediately launched an investigation to identify the source of the mysterious light.
BRIN researchers ultimately provided the strongest, scientifically based explanation: the object was a sporadic meteor that fell into the Java Sea.
“The ball of fire seen is an astronomical phenomenon known as a meteor. Based on analysis, its trajectory pointed toward the Java Sea. This phenomenon is considered rare but posed no impact on land,” explained one researcher.
Experts further added that the widespread, intense light was caused by the reflection of the meteor’s glow off the thick cloud cover present in the sky at the time. Although the meteor fell, there was no indication of convective clouds around Cirebon, meaning that the loud vibrations or explosions some heard were not from lightning strikes.
Local Speculation: Burning Sugar Cane Fields
Despite the detailed scientific explanation from BRIN, local police, through the West Java Regional Police (Polda Jabar), also raised another possibility that was more localized.
The Police suggested that some of the commotion, particularly the flashes of light and loud noises felt by residents in the Cirebon area, might have also originated from the burning of sugar cane fields often conducted by local farmers. This practice, when done at night, occasionally produces large flares that can be seen from a distance, leading to misunderstandings.
However, this local theory does not invalidate the BRIN explanation. Experts concluded that two factors likely contributed to the widespread excitement: a natural meteor event and the common sugar cane field burning activities in the vicinity of Cirebon Regency.
This event serves as a reminder to the public about the diverse phenomena that occur in nature and the importance of seeking confirmation from official institutions like BMKG and BRIN to differentiate between natural occurrences and unverified reports.
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