A mysterious fireball lit up the night sky in western Japan, briefly turning it into daylight hues before fading after about four seconds, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported Wednesday.
Many residents in Kinki, Kyushu and Shikoku regions captured the sight on video and shared images on social media.
Kazuyoshi Imamura, a science curator in Tokushima, said such a flash is a "once-in-a-year" occurrence.
Maeda Toshihisa, director of the Sendai Space Museum in Kagoshima, told public broadcaster NHK that fireballs are caused when dust, asteroid fragments or other space objects burn up after entering Earth's atmosphere.
He added it may have fallen into the sea as a meteorite.
Police and local authorities reported no injuries or damage in the region.
