UFO debate begins as meteorite fireball causes 'explosion' on Turkey's sky

A meteor illuminated alien green and caused a “huge explosion” after shooting through the sky above Turkey’s Izmir city.

The spatial event awestruck just about anyone who watched it happen, so much so that many began speculating it could be a falling satellite or an out-of-control unidentified flying object (UFO).

The inexplicable scenes over the Izmir skies, the Aegean coastal city with a legendary history, were captured on video at 2am.

In some clips the green object disappeared behind hills but other footage shows a bright glow before the meteor appears to crash to earth.

The extraordinary incident prompted many to speculate as to exactly what it could be.

“UFOs have been seen in the sky #PrayforTurkey,” was one such comment cashing in on the hashtag run for Turkey’s wildfire.

One more commented, “Strange, bright object believed to be a rocket debris crashed in Turkey. Satellite?”

But Dr Hasan Ali Dal’s explanation, while less exciting, did put people’s minds at rest.

The astrophysics professor told his followers that the “fireball” phenomenon occurs when a meteor begins to burn up as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

Space rocks will often disintegrate before reaching the ground but if they do crash into Earth they are classed as meteorites.

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Sometimes the process of disintegration can sound like an explosion.

“It usually burns away in the upper atmosphere,” said the professor, adding “It should be considered as a more specific version of the phenomenon known as a shooting star among the people and it often experienced during periods of meteorite rains.”

The Perseid Meteor Shower which happens every year through July an August sees up to 50 meteors an hour shoot through the sky at 133,200mph, with the vast majority never reaching Earth.

It was filmed from the ground in Izimir, Turkey, and the spectators reported hearing a huge explosion.

The shower occurs when Earth crosses paths with debris left behind from Comet Swift-Tuttle.

The alien glow surrounding the Izmir object was most likely the amount of nickel in the falling meteor.

About 90 per cent of these shooting objects contain no metal but some are made wholly or partly of iron and nickel.

The sighting came as the region of Turkey battles more than 100 fierce forest fires.

Thousands have fled, resorts have been evacuated, hundreds have been injured and at least six killed in the infernos.