TAITUNG: A bright light that lit up the sky over the Pacific Ocean off Taitung County on Friday night was most likely a fireball, experts said Saturday. Many residents throughout the southeastern county reported seeing the bright light at around 11:47 p.m. Friday, indicating that it was visible from Nantian Village in the south of the county to Changbin Township in the north, a distance of over 170 kilometers.

According to Focus Taiwan, the appearance of the light in the night sky was recorded by coastal surveillance cameras operated by the Taitung County government and the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration. After the light appeared in the sky, many residents began calling the county government's offices to inquire about the cause of the phenomenon.

Pu Min-cheng, head of Taitung's Transportation and Tourism Development Department, stated that experts have concluded it was most likely a fireball meteor. This natural phenomenon occurs when a meteor enters the atmosphere at high speed, causing it to burn up due to friction, which results in brightly colored lights.

In June and July 2021, fireball meteors were also seen over the Pacific Ocean off Taitung, according to reports.