Karachi witnesses spectacular meteor sightings lighting up the night sky

In the early hours of March 17, 2025, bright flashes of light illuminated the night sky over Karachi, Pakistan, captivating residents who quickly shared visuals on social media. Locals reported seeing meteors streaking across the sky in mesmerizing displays before disappearing in flashes of light. This phenomenon sparked excitement among the city's population, who captured the moment through photographs and videos. A driver even recorded the spectacle via dash cam while parked on a main road. Weather analyst Jawad Memon explained that these meteors are typically small fragments of space debris, which burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere, igniting due to friction with the air. The meteors often go unnoticed in large urban areas like Karachi, primarily due to light pollution, but the spectacle on this occasion was particularly brilliant and lasted longer because the meteors were larger in size. Reports indicated that the event was not exclusive to Karachi, as various regions in southern Sindh also witnessed the bright meteor sightings. Adeel Shafiq, a member of the Karachi Astronomers Society, confirmed the authenticity of the sightings and shared insights into the size of the meteors involved. He hypothesized that the meteors could have been two to three meters long based on the bright trails they produced. Shafiq also clarified the difference between meteors and meteorites, emphasizing that meteors burn up in the atmosphere, while meteorites are fragments that reach the ground. The larger size of this meteor contributed to its noticeable brilliance in the heavily populated area, where most meteors typically go unseen due to urban light interference. This event drew significant attention not only from those fortunate enough to catch the event on camera but also from astronomers and enthusiasts who regularly see meteors from remote locations or observatories. These meteors, while common in unpopulated regions, are a rare and exciting occurrence for residents in a bustling city like Karachi, known as the 'City of Lights'. The extraordinary nature of this meteor sighting underscores both the fascination with astronomical phenomena and the importance of raising public awareness about the universe around us.