BOGOR - The phenomenon of a loud sound accompanied by flashes of light seen in the sky of the Cipanas area, Cianjur Regency, Monday night last week, sparked questions among the public. A number of residents reported the appearance of a reddish light in the sky followed by a loud bang around 22.15 WIB.
Lecturer at the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, IPB University, Sonni Setiawan, explained that based on weather data analysis, the event was not related to lightning storm or thunderstorm activity. According to him, the atmospheric conditions during the incident were observed to be normal and did not show any extreme weather.
"The atmospheric conditions during the incident were normal and did not show any extreme weather," Sonni said in his statement, Monday, January 12.
In addition to weather data, seismograph monitoring also did not find any seismic or volcanic activity in the area. Sonni said that no increase in activity was detected at Mount Gede or the movement of the fault in the Mount Gede-Pangrango area that could be associated with the event of the thunder and lightning.
With the weather and seismic conditions monitored normally, he ensured that the phenomenon was not related to volcanic, seismic, or lightning storm activity. However, scientifically, there are still other possibilities that can explain the incident.
"One of the most likely natural phenomena is a bolide or fireball," Sonni explained.
A bolide is an event where a relatively large-sized meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere at high speed. The friction with the atmosphere causes the meteoroid to burn and produce a flash of light resembling a meteor. If it is large enough, the meteoroid can explode in the atmosphere and create a sonic shock wave that sounds like a loud bang on the surface.
Sonni added that the observed flashes of light can also occur due to the ablation and ionization processes of the atmosphere that trigger the release of electromagnetic energy. This phenomenon, according to him, is in line with the explanation from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).
He also reminded that a similar event had occurred in the Cirebon area several months ago. At that time, a meteor was reported to have reached the Earth's surface and caused damage to some of the residents' roofs.
However, Sonni emphasized that the alleged bolide phenomenon still requires further clarification.
"To ensure the exact cause, direct observations and field findings at the scene are needed, including the possibility of meteorite material traces," he concluded.
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