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China 'intercepts meteor or UFO' as fireball blasts through sky before exploding

A flaming object was seen tearing through the night above China's Shandong province last Friday (September 12) but appears to explode mid way through its flight

[The fireball appears to be intercepted by a small bright light and explodes upon impact]

The fireball appears to be intercepted by a small bright light and explodes upon impact

Social media users are buzzing with theories that a meteor or UFO was blasted out of the sky by Chinese forces after footage of a blazing fireball ending in a spectacular explosion went viral online.

The burning object was spotted hurtling through the darkness over China's Shandong province last Friday (September 12), only to seemingly detonate midway through its journey.

Clips shared on X appear to capture the moment a small bright light intercepts the fireball, obliterating it in an instant. Multiple videos from various vantage points documented the extraordinary event. The fireball seemed to follow a curved trajectory before the blast occurred.

[Wider shots of the UFO show it travelling in an arc coming from the ground before it explodes]

Wider shots of the UFO show it travelling in an arc coming from the ground before it explodes

Users on X are debating whether this was evidence of a missile interception trial. Self-proclaimed UFO investigator Tom Thompson posted on X: "Defense analysts say this fits a missile-intercept test," before elaborating, "A point of light moved fast on a curved path.", reports the Mirror.

"A second light approached from another vector. They crossed, a flash lit the sky, and two sharp booms followed. Clips flooded Chinese social platforms. Local media described the first track as target-like. The second behaved like an interceptor closing the gap."

The missile test allegations remain unverified, with Chinese officials yet to issue any formal response. Nevertheless, residents did report hearing "two loud bangs, resembling artillery shells," according to The Sun.

Another X user, UFO mania, asked: "Can anyone explain this video from China? I was thinking it was a meteor or something. But then it hits whatever that thing is that comes from the left. Pretty interesting Don't know what it is though."

Astrophysics expert Dr Alfredo Carpineti, who writes for IFL Science, reviewed the footage and expressed doubts about it being a meteor. Speaking to the Metro, he said: "The problem is that it partly looks like a meteor until it doesn't. That's why I'm sceptical.'".

Carpineti also criticised the quality of the footage, describing it as "weird" and "bouncy", making it difficult to identify the object. He speculated on the possibility of it being a missile: "The fastest hypersonic missile is still slower than the slowest asteroid and there is no planetary defence system that uses missiles".

Asteroids travel at speeds ranging from 25,000mph to 160,000 mph, while the fastest hypersonic missile can only reach speeds of 20,700 mph.

China's space programme is reportedly planning a mission to strike an asteroid with a spacecraft, following the US's successful Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2022. Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China's lunar programme, stated that the programme's aim was at "defending against asteroids".

Earlier this year, an asteroid dubbed a "city killer" was detected with a potential to collide with Earth. The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, measures between 40-100 metres in diameter and could obliterate an entire city on 22 December 2032, as per the forecasts of the European Space Agency (ESA).

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