Caught on video: impressive fireball crosses the sky

Residents of Okinawa Prefecture in southwestern Japan on Thursday witnessed the moment a massive fireball lit up the night, sparking fear and fascination among onlookers.

The event began shortly after 8:30 p.m. Several people caught the moment when the glowing object was slowly traversing the skies.

Daiichi Fujii, an astronomy specialist at the Hiratsuka city museum, said the object was likely the remains of a Chinese rocket burning up in the atmosphere.

The Chinese Long March 3B rocket was supposed to re-enter Earth on a schedule and with a path similar to that of the object seen over Japan.