If you were outside Tuesday afternoon and caught a flash of light tearing across the sky, you weren’t imagining it. A real fireball was spotted over the Philadelphia region around 2:34 p.m.
The object traveled at a reported 30,000 miles per hour before disintegrating over South Jersey, according to NASA. More than 200 people across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Connecticut reported seeing it to the American Meteor Society.
What Happened
NASA used witness accounts and imagery from publicly accessible cameras to paint a detailed picture of what really crossed the sky. Here’s what they determined:
The meteor first became visible 48 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, off the shore of Mastic Beach on Long Island. From there, it traveled 117 miles through the upper atmosphere at hypersonic speed before disintegrating just north of Atlantic City, 27 miles high in the skies above Galloway.
The entire journey took mere seconds.
New Jersey Residents Reacted
Witnesses across South and Central Jersey reported seeing the fireball streak across the sky in broad daylight. Many also reported hearing a loud boom shortly after—consistent with what NASA describes as a sonic boom produced when meteors travel through Earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
“I saw it over Jackson,” one user wrote on Facebook. “It was very loud and shook my house…I have it on my ring [camera],” another said.
“What the f*** was that?” can be heard in one video submitted to the American Meteor Society.
What’s the Difference Between a Meteor and a Fireball?
NASA defines a fireball as a meteor brighter than the planet Venus. A meteoroid is a small asteroid in space. It becomes a meteor when it begins burning upon entering Earth’s atmosphere. A fireball is simply an exceptionally bright version of a meteor, and a meteorite is what’s left if any fragment survives disintegration and reaches the ground.
No meteorite fragments were found.
According to NASA, we are in peak fireball season, which runs from February through April. However, a majority of fireballs occur over the ocean—or in unpopulated areas—and go unnoticed.
But Tuesday’s fireball was different. It crossed over one of the most densely populated corridors on the East Coast in broad daylight—and hundreds of people were there to see it.
Did you?
More on this fireball: NASA fireball report | Eyewitness accounts: American Meteor Society
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.