Hundreds watched in awe Sunday night as a fireball streaked across the mid-Atlantic.
the FireballThe meteorite, which was exceptionally bright, first became visible 47 miles above the city of Forest Hill, Maryland, according to NASA. It sped toward the northwest at 36,000 mph and disintegrated 22 miles above Jannatstown, Pennsylvania.
NASA said on its website that the fireball was as bright as a quarter moon, and moved 55 miles through the atmosphere. Watching the meteor page on Monday. By studying the orbit and trajectory, scientists determined that the object producing the meteorite was a small fragment of an asteroid, which probably originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
What is the difference between a fireball, a meteorite, and an asteroid?
Fireball, also known as Poldi, is an astronomical term for a fireball Bright meteorite This is “amazing enough to see over a very wide area,” according to NASA. Fireballs that explode in the atmosphere are usually called fireballs, although the two terms are used interchangeably.
Meteorites can be considered space rocks, according to NASA. They range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. They become meteorites when they enter Earth’s atmosphere (or the atmosphere of another planet) and burn up.
If a meteorite survives the journey through the atmosphere and hits the Earth, it is known as a meteoroid.
Asteroids They are small rocky bodies usually found in a ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter called the asteroid belt.
How many people have seen Fireball?
More than 400 people He reported seeing a fireball, according to the American Meteor Society. Sightings came from Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia. Residents of Washington, D.C., also spotted the fireball.
The organization says Report fireballs It alerts them to “events of potential scientific interest, and contributes to the general database of knowledge about meteorites.”
What’s next for astronomy fans?
NASA notes this Venus It returns to the morning sky this month. It may be visible in the eastern sky before sunrise throughout the month. According to the space agency, Venus will appear fairly high in the sky from the northern hemisphere.
The full moon on September 28, known as the Harvest Moon, will be the last of four consecutive supermoons this year. It will appear after sunset on September 28 and reach its peak on September 29.
The supermoon appears about 16% brighter than the regular moon. It also appears larger than the average full moon. according to NASAIt’s like the size difference between a quarter and a nickel. This phenomenon occurs when the moon’s orbit is at its closest point to the Earth at the same time that the moon is full.
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