Vranje, Belgrade -- Milan Jeličić of the Ruđer Bošković Astronomical Society says that a bolide was seen in the sky above Serbia last night.

"A bolide is a luminous meteorite which is more luminous than Venus and is accompanied by sound effects which are created as it disintegrates," he explained.

According to him, one could not see anything from the observatory Kalemegdan observatory due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Tanjug news agency correspondent from Vranje reported that a light ball was seen in the sky last night at 19:32 in several towns in that part of the country.



The luminous body flew across the sky at great speed and a strong detonation was heard afterward.

The Ruđer Bošković Astronomical Society says that bolides, celestial bodies often confused with meteorites, fell four times in Serbia so far and the last time it was near Čačak in 1919.

Jeličić says that there is a possibility that the bolide even fell to the ground.

"A bolide, unlike meteorite which combusts upon entering atmosphere, can get to the Earth's crust and sky stones which we find on the ground are actually meteorites," he explained.

Aside from Čačak, meteorites were found near Soko Banja in 1877 and at Mt. Jelica in 1889.

According to Jeličić, a bolide flying through the Earth's atmosphere and falling to the ground is a normal phenomenon and observing the entire planet it is not rare at all.

He also stressed that bolides could "enter and exit" the atmosphere without falling to the ground.

Source:Tanjug