Locals in Sumatra, Indonesia, have spotted what is thought to be a meteor in the night sky on Christmas Eve.

The footage shows a bright red object in the sky above a village with people gathering outside their houses to watch.

The object flares up and then fades away. Officials said it could have been a meteor burning up as it entered the Earth's atmosphere but said they could not be sure what exactly it was.

Objects that are thought to be meteors spotted in the Indonesian sky surprised local residents.

Footage filmed on Friday night (December 24) in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, the object looks like it's on fire hovering for about a minute in the sky towards the Southeast.

Locals believe it to be a meteor, while joking it was Santa who was distributing Christmas gifts.

Agam's National Aeronautics and Space Institute (Lapan) officer, Ridho, said that according to the Center for Space Science, his party didn't know for sure what celestial bodies were seen by the residents.

"There can be various speculations or various events, which need further proof," Ridho said as conveyed by the Center for Space Science.

Furthermore, the officer said, the day before there was a space phenomenon that occurred, namely the peak of the Ursid meteor shower.

"There is a possibility that the visible light is an Ursid meteor that burns up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere," the officer added.

Meanwhile, other residents said the light was not a meteor but a flare fire fired using a flare gun.