Scientific Explanation for the Boom Heard During Meteor Flash

A flash of green light in the sky over Yogyakarta last weekend turned out to be a meteor. Such objects streaking across the sky are usually accompanied by a booming sound. Why is that? The moment of the light flash in the Yogyakarta sky was seen last Saturday night (11/7/2026). Thomas Djamaluddin, Senior Researcher in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), stated that a booming sound is normal when a meteor enters the Earth’s atmosphere. “The booming sound occurs because the meteor travels much faster than the speed of sound. The shockwave is only heard some time after the meteor passes because sound takes time to reach the surface,” explained Thomas, as quoted on Monday (13/7/2026). Thomas then explained the appearance of light when the meteor falls to Earth. He noted that space rocks begin to glow upon entering the atmosphere at an altitude of 120 km. This is also due to the friction between the meteor rock and the air, which causes the rock to erode and emit bright light. “Meteors originate from space rocks orbiting the Sun. When their trajectory intersects with Earth’s orbit, the rock enters the atmosphere at a very high speed. Friction with the atmosphere causes its surface to heat up until it glows, appearing as a meteor,” Thomas explained. BRIN stated that the meteor’s light flash could also be seen from several cities in West Java, such as Cirebon, Kuningan, and Majalengka, as well as the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Thomas also revealed the reason the meteor flash in Yogyakarta appeared bright green. “Each chemical element has a different light spectrum when heated. The green colour in meteors is generally associated with the content of magnesium or nickel burning during the atmospheric entry process,” he said. He explained that the phenomenon of a meteor light flash is a normal occurrence in the world of astronomy. According to him, the Earth receives millions of space rocks every day. “This phenomenon is an interesting natural event and serves as a reminder that the Earth continuously interacts with the space environment. As long as the meteor burns up completely in the atmosphere or falls in an uninhabited area, the public need not worry,” concluded Thomas.