7 Facts About the Viral Meteor Phenomenon Over Indonesia's Cirebon

October 6, 2025 | 11:28 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The appearance of a fireball, widely suspected to be a meteor, over the sky of Cirebon, West Java, on Sunday night, October 5, 2025, has attracted attention on social media. Numerous residents reported seeing a bright flash of light and hearing loud explosions.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) have since begun tracing the origin of this phenomenon.

Here are the key facts known so far:

1. Sighting Reported from Cirebon to Pekalongan

Videos circulated online showed a fireball streaking swiftly across the Cirebon night sky, followed by footage and narration claiming the suspected meteor fell near the Ciperna Toll Road. Thomas Djamaluddin, an Astronomy and Astrophysics Researcher at BRIN, confirmed that a similar phenomenon was observed in several other regions.

"In Tasikmalaya, an object resembling a meteor was seen without the sound of an explosion. There were also observers from Tegal who reportedly heard the explosion," Thomas told Tempo on Monday, October 6, 2025. He added that the bright object was also reported to be visible in the sky over Pekalongan.

2. The Event Occurred Around 6:35-6:39 p.m.

Thomas concluded that the celestial object was a fairly large meteor that crossed the Kuningan-Cirebon Regency area from the southwest between approximately 6:35 p.m. and 6:39 p.m. local time.

3. Explosions Caused by Atmospheric Shockwaves

The loud noise heard in the Kuningan and Cirebon Regency areas was not caused by the meteor hitting the ground, but rather by shockwaves in the atmosphere.

"The meteor entered from the south of Java, passing Tasikmalaya without any explosion. When it reached the Kuningan-Cirebon area, the meteor experienced shockwaves due to the denser atmosphere, then it passed through to the Java Sea," Thomas explained.

4. Suspected Meteor Fell in the Java Sea

The meteor is not believed to have fallen on land, contradicting claims widely circulated on social media. Thomas estimated that the meteor likely fell into the Java Sea.

5. BMKG Confirms Clear and Cloudy Weather at the Time

Muhammad Syifaul Fuad, Head of the Forecast, Data, and Information Working Group at BMKG Kertajati, noted that loud explosions can be caused by various factors, including lightning or landslides.

However, the weather conditions at the time did not support the occurrence of lightning. The conditions in Cirebon and its surrounding areas were recorded as clear and cloudy.

"Usually, the sound of an explosion or vibration can arise from convective clouds due to lightning strikes. Based on satellite imagery, there were no indications of convective clouds around the Cirebon area at the time of the incident," Syifaul stated, as reported by Antara.

He clarified that the BMKG lacks instruments to detect celestial objects. "Regarding meteor or space object phenomena, it is the authority of the agencies specializing in this field, such as BRIN," he said.

6. Large Meteors Like This Are Known as Bolides

The viral footage suggests the object may be a bolide, a type of meteor large enough to produce shockwaves. When a bolide enters the lower atmosphere, its size is substantial enough to create loud explosions. However, most bolides burn up completely before reaching the Earth's surface.

7. Meteors Are a Common Nightly Phenomenon

According to the Info Astronomy website, meteor phenomena are not rare. Meteors are small fragments of rock or cosmic dust (meteoroids) that enter the Earth's atmosphere and incinerate, leaving a glowing trail in the sky.

Astronomers estimate that about 50 to 300 tons of cosmic dust enter the Earth's atmosphere every day. This translates to hundreds of millions, or even billions, of small meteors crossing the sky globally every 24 hours, though most are too small to be visible.

Sultan Abdurrahman and Anwar Siswadi contributed to the report.

Editor's Choice: BRIN Astronomer Confirms Meteor Fall Following Booming Sound in Cirebon

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Harvest Supermoon to Illuminate the Night Sky

44 menit lalu

BRIN Astronomer Confirms Meteor Fall Following Booming Sound in Cirebon

14 jam lalu

BMKG Unveils Weather Forecast for Greater Jakarta Today

2 hari lalu

BMKG: M5.7 Earthquake Shakes Nabire, Papua

3 hari lalu

BMKG's Weather Forecast: Jakarta to Stay Cloudy Today, No Chance of Rain

3 hari lalu

BRIN Moves to Develop Spoiled Food Test Kit to Prevent MBG-Linked Food Poisoning

4 hari lalu

US Embassies Worldwide Suspend Social Media Updates as Govt Shuts Down

4 hari lalu

Southwest Maluku Hit with M6.1 Earthquake, BMKG Reports

4 hari lalu

BMKG: Indonesia Braces for Local Rains, Extreme Weather in Early October 2025

5 hari lalu

Disinformation about the Down-Streaming of Nickel Mining

5 hari lalu