Fireballs in Thailand's Mekong River: The unexplained phenomena

It is a mystery which has confusedmillions around the world. Several fireballs appearalong the Mekong river in Thailand eachyear as people gather to witness it.

Interestingly, it is not just a one-off event, the fireballs typically are manyand some witnesses say even thousands can be seen. Locals call it the mythical 'Phaya Nak', a giant serpent which appears in the sky from inside the river.

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The mysterious phenomenon appears between late October and early November each year. It has also become a tourist attraction as people gather to witness the "fireball phenomenon" also popularly called the Naga Fireball Festival.

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The scientists are still not sure how it is taking place although there are a number of theories from swap gas which is mainly methane formed due to decomposition of organic material, another theory suggests it occurs when the Earth, Sun and Moon align. However, there is no exact explanation for the strange phenomena.

People on Twitter are equally mystified.

Several have in fact questioned whether it is a natural or man-made phenomenon as the event trends on social media whenever it occurs as some callit "ghost lights".

Some say the size of the fireballs is as big as a basketball andit appears like a shooting star. However, no one has been able to pinpoint why it exactly occurs and the exact nature of the fireball.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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