Asteroid lights up night sky over English Channel as it enters Earth's atmosphere

A small asteroid lit up the night sky over the English Channel as it was seen entering the Earth's atmosphere.

The object, named Sar2667, created a shooting star effect in the early hours of Monday morning, with a number of individuals sharing videos and pictures on social media showing the rock appearing to explode as it soars across the sky.

Scientists had earlier predicted where the asteroid's airburst would occur - only the seventh time they had been able to do so successfully.

The European Space Agency said the asteroid, which measured 1m, was expected to "safely strike" the earth's atmosphere near to the French city of Rouen.

The sighting comes after an asteroid made one of the closest approaches to Earth ever recorded last month.

On that occasion an asteroid the size of a small truck zoomed over the southern tip of South America, only 2,200 miles above the Earth’s surface.

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