LATEST: A number of Christchurch residents reported sightings of a suspected meteor or meteor shower in the skies over Canterbury last night. 

Did you see the lights last night? Email your comments and pics to reporters@press.co.nz. 

The sightings coincided with the KidsFest Twilight Lantern Parade, where participants were encouraged to bring lanterns, torches, or "anything that glows".

Is it suspected the event is responsible for the unidentified flying objects seen by residents in the sky last night, many of whom believed they were witnessing meteors.

Savannah Adams noticed a "strange orange light in the sky" while driving home at 6.05pm in Halswell. 

"It appeared to be closer than the stars but further away than a plane or helicopter.

"When driving it didn't look as if it was moving but once I had driven to the end of my road and was standing in my driveway, it was moving reasonably fast and flickering," she said.

Adams said the light seemed to be heading west, in the direction of the Alps.

She described a "bright red-orange light" that flickered until "it went dark and I could no longer see it".

"I thought I could see a slight V-shape as well. I can't think of what else it would be other than a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere," she said. 

Another resident who was driving at 7.30pm reported a "strange orange light moving across the night sky from east to west, then just stop and fade away".

"It did not make any sound and was travelling at approximately a height of 1000 metres above Christchurch."

Barry Sheard went outside at 7.30pm saw "what appeared to be a large fireball or meteor in the sky moving from east to west".

"It was bright orange-red in colour and we watched it for approx a minute and a half until it flickered a few minutes and then it seemed to just die. It made no sound," he said. 

Phil Wells shot the above video of the light from Hornby at 6.35pm. 

He described the light as a "flaming ball".

"I thought it was quite strange, I have seen shooting stars over this area, but nothing like this," he said. 

- © Fairfax NZ News

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