Social media was abuzz Sunday after reports that an object emitting an intense light had been spotted falling from the skies above Japan in the early hours of the morning.

Supplied photo taken from video footage of a fireball seen in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. (Kyodo)

The fireball, believed to be a bolide — a type of shooting star often compared to a full moon for its brightness — could be seen clearly from parts of western and central Japan.