A large fireball was spotted in the skies over the U.S. and Canada on Monday evening, with 436 sightings reported by the American Meteor Society. The fireball was seen from northern Michigan to North Carolina and Kentucky to western New York, moving from west to east over Lake Erie around 7 p.m. Many photos and videos captured the bright streak of light as it zoomed across the sky.
This event coincided with the peak of the Orionid meteor shower on Monday evening, which is active from late September to late November. Astronomers consider the Orionids to be the most beautiful shower of the year, with meteors traveling at approximately 148,000 mph into Earth’s atmosphere, leaving glowing debris in their wake that can last for several seconds or even minutes. NASA notes that when meteors move fast enough, they can produce fireballs that look like prolonged explosions of light.
Overall, Monday was a busy evening for stargazers, with the dual sightings of the fireball and the Orionid meteor shower peak. The event generated significant interest and excitement, with many people taking to social media to share their experiences and photos of the celestial phenomenon.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com