Rare Meteor Shower Or Satellite Debris? Delhi-Noida Sky Lights Up Overnight

If you were out late on Friday night in Delhi-NCR, chances are you looked up and saw the sky light up in a way you’ll probably never forget. Around 1:20 AM, a bright streak of light was spotted across the night sky. It wasn’t just Delhi residents of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and even Aligarh also witnessed the glowing trail in the night sky. Also Read: Aditya-L1 mission: Why is it important for India and what are its objectives?

Videos of the event quickly flooded social media, with many describing it as a “shooting star explosion” or the brightest meteor they had ever seen. Some even reported faint rumbling sounds after the sighting. Also Read: Meet Nigar Shaji, the woman behind India's solar mission Aditya-L1

What Did People See?

Eyewitnesses shared clips online showing the fiery streak turning into smaller fragments before disappearing. One user posted, “Just witnessed an incredible fire streak in the sky. Looks like a meteor or maybe rocket debris burning up. Nature’s own light show from my rooftop!” Another wrote, “Can you believe this happened over Delhi at 1:20 AM? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Also Read: Aditya-L1, India's first solar mission, launched successfully, will study the Sun

Naturally, the sight sparked questions-was it a meteor, a shooting star, or something else entirely?

I was coming a while ago from my office with one of my colleague and around 1:25 am we saw a meteor shower above delhi sky , near bhikaji kama place , we stopped the scooty and started recording this, not sure if it's a meteor shower or something else , and we can't find in news. pic.twitter.com/RiymC7qdkO

— Rohit Pathak (@still__mortal) September 19, 2025

meteor shower in delhi last night… 911 promotion going hard pic.twitter.com/IZIFkP6uxj

— momo (@biggbadvampire) September 20, 2025

The Nehru Planetarium in Delhi explained that the phenomenon was satellite debris burning up in the atmosphere, not a meteor shower. OP Gupta, senior engineer at the planetarium, confirmed that it was a case of satellite disintegration visible from multiple cities, including Jaipur, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram.

Meanwhile, some astronomers suggested it could also be a bolide- a bright meteor that breaks apart due to heat and friction while entering Earth’s atmosphere. Either way, the event wasn’t dangerous and caused no reported impacts on the ground.

A Rare Skywatching Moment

Though brief, the streak shone brighter than city lights and left residents in awe. Whether you call it a meteor, bolide, or satellite debris, it was a rare spectacle for Delhi-NCR skywatchers. And while experts may debate the exact classification, for those who witnessed it, the memory of the dazzling night sky will stick around far longer than the flash itself.