&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Green fireball in Moscow same night Russia reported downing over 100 Ukrainian drones triggers debate")
Russians in Moscow witnessed a green glowing ball streaking through the skies early Monday morning. There is no confirmation on what it was, although, going by its colour, it is likely to be a meteor. RT reported that it left people wondering what it could have been, "a meteor, satellite, or something more sinister." Officials haven't commented on it yet, but since this is the time of the Orionid meteor shower and the Taurid meteor shower, the green fireball in Moscow was likely a remnant of one of these showers. When meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere, they start breaking apart, leaving behind a trail just like the one seen in the video. Some Russian media reports suggest that the fireball was space debris. There are no reports of a sonic boom or fallen debris yet.
The green object remains extremely bright for a long time and seems to undergo some kind of explosion at one point. This activity hints that it is possible that it was some kind of space debris that burned up upon reentry. A meteor would have been moving at a much faster pace, experts say. Besides, the green colour indicates the presence of nickel, normally used to make spacecraft. Official confirmation on what it could have been is awaited.
Russia claims to have intercepted 193 Ukrainian drones on same night
On the same night, Russian authorities reported that their air defence systems successfully intercepted 193 Ukrainian drones, most of which were spotted near Moscow, where 34 drones were reportedly shot down. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there was no ground damage, although two major Moscow airports, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, had to be shut down.
Meanwhile, some netizens seemed to think that it was an AI-generated video. A user wrote on X, "Why does this video look fake? Right from the beginning, it looks like someone yelled ACTION then the ball started moving. Look at how the initial trail stays where it began." Others used it as an opportunity to mock Russia amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. "Thor landed in Russia..." one wrote, with another saying, "Ghost of Kiev".
Meteor showers in October-November
Orionids are an annual occurrence and happen when Earth passes through the debris trail left by Halley’s Comet. They become active in October, and this year started around October 2 and is expected to last till November 7. The Orionids peaked on October 20-21. Meanwhile, the Southern Taurids remain active roughly from late summer/early autumn until late November. This year, they started on September 20 and are expected to remain active till November 20.
