A mysterious green light has lit up the sky above England, leaving residents scratching their heads as to what the luminous object could be.

Video of the bizarre anomaly passing through the sky in West Yorkshire quickly went viral, clocking up more than 1.5 million views in the past week.

James Javens, 22, and his friend Ryan Butterworth, 20, shot the footage and posted it online in the hopes that someone might be able to explain what caused the light.

View photos Is it a shooting star? Or a meteor? The light in the sky hasn't been explained. Source: James Javens More

"It was flying across the sky so fast but luckily we had a phone to hand and were able to catch it on film," Mr Javens told the Wakefield Express.

"It was an absolutely amazing sight. It was a big, bright green light, and it flew across the sky. It was travelling really fast and for a really long time."

Professor Brian Cox thinks it could have been a meteor.

View photos The light was extremely bright. Source: James Javens More

"Quite a few people saying they saw a meteor over the North of England this evening - anyone else? Sounds like a bright one," he wrote on Twitter.

The UK Meteor Network said the International Meteor Organisation received more than 700 reports of a fireball on December 31 at around 5.35pm.