---
title: "Flaming Objects Falling From Sky Were Not Meteorites, Experts Say"
description: "Strange balls of fire rained down on a Chilean island last week and astronomers have no idea what they are. Geologists have already ruled out meteorites."
date: "2019-10-03"
modified: "2019-10-03"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/mysterious-fireballs-chile"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "fireball"
  - "meteorites"
  - "the digest"
  - "ufos"
---

# Flaming Objects Falling From Sky Were Not Meteorites, Experts Say

![Strange balls of fire rained down on a Chilean island last week and astronomers have no idea what they are. Geologists have already ruled out meteorites.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/mysterious-fireballs-chile.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image:  National Geology and Mining Service of Chile \</em\>*

## UFO Fireballs

Mysterious balls of fire rained down in seven locations on a Chilean island last week and astronomers have no idea what they are.

Small flaming objects were first spotted on September 25, crash landing on the island of Chiloe in southern Chile, [*CNET* reports](<https://www.cnet.com/news/mysterious-fireball-that-crashed-and-burned-wasnt-a-meteor/>). The objects were still so hot from their descent through Earth's atmosphere, they started a series of small fires.

## Crash Site

In a [TV interview](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LXEbphHf90>) after the objects were first spotted, Chilean astronomer and astrophysicist Jose Maza suggested the objects were either meteorites or space debris.

But a team of geologists from Chile's National Geology and Mining Service [ruled out](<https://www.sernageomin.cl/sernageomin-descarta-preliminarmente-caida-de-meteorito-en-dalcahue/>) meteorites.

## Burned Up Space Junk

So what the hell were the mysterious fireballs? There's a chance the objects could be space debris that survived a turbulent trip through the atmosphere. Usually, space junk from man-made objects like satellites and spacecraft burn up completely or plop down undetected in extremely remote places such as the middle of the ocean.

Officials will be conducting further analyses to determine what the seven objects are — but we'll have to wait for another couple weeks until we hear their conclusions.

**READ MORE:** [Mysterious fireball that crashed and burned wasn't a meteor](<https://www.cnet.com/news/mysterious-fireball-that-crashed-and-burned-wasnt-a-meteor/>) \[*CNET*\]

**More on meteorites:** *[Rocks on a Distant Asteroid Resemble Those on Earth](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/rocks-distant-asteroid-earth>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)