Preliminary assessment reveals fireball is a meteor

A prelimnary examination by scientists has revealed that the 'fireball', which streaked across the Kerala sky triggering panic in several disitricts a day ago, could be a meteor.
Officials of the State Disaster Management Authority, who collected samples from a plot in Karimalloor village in Ernakulam district where the object was believed to have fallen, said preliminary assessment pointed to the possibility of it being a meteor.
"Our primary assessments point to the possibility of a meteor. The objects we collected from the spot have high specific gravity. Though they are small in size, it has more than normal weight," Sekhar Kuriakose, a scientist from the authority, told PTI.

He said the objects which had 'brilliant streaks' due to iron-nickle presence, had the peculiarity of a meteor.
"It is just a primary assessment and we cannot arrive at a concrete conclusion with this. We will hand over the collected samples to Geological Survey of India for further examination. We can arrive at a conclusion only after detailed examination," the official added.
A huge 'fireball' was noticed streaking across the sky on Friday night in parts of Thrissur, Ernakulam, Palakaad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala.
An area of Karimalloor village, where the 'fireball' was suspected to have plunged, was found charred.

There were speculations that the 'fireball' could be celestial debris or a rocket or satellite debris.