Bright object with fiery tail seen over Puttalam

A bright object appeared in the sky above Puttalam town during the early hours of the day before yesterday (1), causing great excitement among residents, and people came out of their homes to witness it, a local newspaper reported.

It also mentions that several individuals managed to take photographs of it.

Residents mentioned that this mysterious object was several feet in length and possessed a tail of fire, similar to a rocket or a missile.

Flying at an altitude of approximately 300 feet, faster than an aircraft, it moved beyond the visible range towards the distant sky over the Puttalam lagoon and disappeared, the newspaper notes they stated.

Meanwhile, reports also indicate that some people, panicked by fears that a mishap might occur, ran to safe locations to hide.

Various opinions exist among the public regarding this mysterious phenomenon, but there is no evidence for them, and residents hope for clarification from the relevant authorities, the newspaper states.

Commenting on this, Professor Chandana Jayaratne, Professor of Physics at the University of Colombo and Chairman of the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, stated that this object could be a meteorite.

"If it possessed a tail of fire, the object could be a meteorite. Meteorites can appear during the night at any time of the year. Therefore, this could be a meteorite," he said.

However, a comprehensive study must be conducted to arrive at a definitive conclusion, the Professor further mentioned, according to the newspaper.