Shortly after 7pm yesterday, 13 October 2025, a greenish fireball crossed the Italian skies, giving a spectacle that left thousands of people speechless. Reports came from every part of the country, from Piedmont to Sicily. Many have described a bright and fast trailvisible for a few moments but enough to spark curiosity and, in some cases, a hint of alarm.
Experts, however, reassure: no danger. It was a fireballthat is, one particularly bright meteor. Its green color, astrophysicists explain, is linked to presence of magnesium in its chemical compositionan element that burns emitting greenish light when it comes into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere.
This evening a fireball crossed the sky, seen by many people in central Italy. Here it is seen from the arezzometeo webcam.
Posted by Arezzo Meteo on Monday, October 13, 2025
What a fireball really is
Although the word bolide is often used as a saying to indicate a very bright meteor, . In fact, astronomers do not classify meteors based on their brightness but on their physical and chemical characteristics. These blocks of rocky or ferrous material they light up upon contact with the atmosphere, generating a spectacular effect that can be observed even hundreds of kilometers away.
In some cases, the phenomenon can also arise from fragments of artificial objectssuch as remains of satellites or rockets. However, the evidence gathered about the October fireball points to a natural origin. The intense brightness and greenish hue suggest a magnesium-rich body, which completely disintegrated before reaching the ground.
Fireball in the skies of Francavilla!After various reports from Southern Italy, we checked our webcams… and there it was: immortalized at 7.10pm on October 13th by Francavilla Fontana. A rare event, but not too rare: we now catch 2-3 of them every year.
Always looking at the sky.
Posted by Meteo Francavilla Fontana on Monday, October 13, 2025
Phenomena of this type are not rare, but each time they attract great attention, often accompanied by imaginative interpretations. Astronomers always urge to maintain scientific rigor and critical spirit. It is easy for the sudden appearance of a bright object in the sky to fuel conspiracy theoriesbut the explanation is simple: it’s about meteors or pieces of space junk burning in the atmosphere.
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