MUNICH, Germany, April 7 (Reuters) - Strange lights in the sky baffled Bavarians late on Saturday as hundreds of panicked callers jammed police telephone lines seeking an explanation for the phenomenon.

Reports of an unsettling late-night natural light show came from all over the southern German state as well as the neighbouring region of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

"It had nothing to do with the weather. But I don't think little green men from Mars have landed in Bavaria. It was something burning out in the atmosphere," a meteorologist said.

"It was like a huge firework," a Reuters TV correspondent in Munich said, describing the display. "You could even see it through half-closed blinds. It lasted around three seconds," she said.

Pilots flying into Munich airport radioed the control tower with reports of unusual lights in the sky.

The German police said NASA scientists initially thought the light was caused by space junk -- floating debris in the Earth's atmosphere -- but later said they were still unsure.

The German army reported no unusual movements on its radar.

Scientists said the lights may have the result of a meteor breaking through the Earth's atmosphere.

"There are no signs of impact or damage. We can't say what it was," a police spokesman said.

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Posting date: 4/12/2002
Original article date: 4/12/2002
Category: News & Media Reports

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