Did you see the fireball over Singapore? Here’s what you need to know about the “brighter than usual” meteor and its rarity

How big is this object?

Dr Young said that since there were no reports of injuries or property damage, the fireball was most likely a small object, probably less than a few metres in length and less than 1 metre in volume.

“Larger objects can cause shock waves or fireballs when they enter the Earth’s atmosphere, and larger impactors are known to cause property damage,” he said, referring specifically to the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which exploded in Russia’s Ural region in 2013, causing loss of life and widespread destruction.

Dr Ng gave a similar estimate of the object’s size.

“Typically, the largest meteoroids are estimated to be about one metre in size,” she said.

She cited ESA estimates that the object was about the same size as those seen over Spain and Portugal.

“ESA estimates that the object that caused the fireball in Spain was about one metre in size. ESA estimated the size of the object by analysing data on the energy released by the fireball,” she said, adding that these data were also captured by ESA cameras, hence the data.

What is the height of the fireball?

Dr Young said that given the size of the object, and taking into account the fact that it did not cause a shock wave, the fireball was probably “seen at a fairly high altitude, probably around 60km to 100km”.

Dr Ng shared a similar sentiment.

“Generally speaking, meteors usually appear at altitudes between 76 km and 100 km. They usually disintegrate at altitudes between 50 km and 95 km. The object that caused the Spanish fireball burned up at an altitude of about 60 km,” she said.

How rare are fireballs?

Dr Young said that while the meteor undoubtedly provided an unforgettable experience for all who saw it, “bolide meteors are actually quite common, and small impactors are even more common”.

Meanwhile, Dr Wu said: “There are probably more than 500,000 fireballs per year on Earth.”

However, there is a reason why they are uncommon.

“Most impacts occur over the oceans, which cover about 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface,” Dr Young said.