A bright dot that becomes bigger and bigger, until it lights up the night sky next to the erupting Mayon volcano, in the Philippines. The incredible images were taken by the webcam of the local volcanological institute shortly after 10.30pm yesterday, Monday 25 May.
The meteor and the volcano
The video, then shared on social media and filmed by various media, has already gone viral due to its peculiarity, especially among amateur astronomers and cosmos enthusiasts. The passage of the meteor was made even more evocative by the eruption of Mayon, which reached its 140th day of effusive activity. The volcano, located in the province of Albay, is one of the most active in the entire country.
As explained by experts from Phivolcs, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the celestial body disintegrated in the atmosphere without hitting the volcano or the earth’s soil. As for the volcano, Philippine authorities have left alert level 3 active due to high instability and the possibility of potentially dangerous eruptions in the coming weeks. For this reason, it is not recommended to approach the area within a 6 km radius, due to the risk of explosions or falling debris.