dailyloe.com – A bright fireball meteor streaked across the Northeast sky on Tuesday afternoon, generating widespread public reports. NASA confirmed the event occurred around 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time. The sighting spanned multiple states including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The meteor first became visible approximately 48 miles above the Atlantic Ocean. Its location was off the coast of Mastic Beach on Long Island. It then traveled southwest at an estimated speed of 30,000 miles per hour.
The fireball eventually disintegrated about 27 miles above Galloway Township, New Jersey. Video of the event was captured by a witness named Brittany Wilhelmy. The footage shows the bright object moving rapidly through the atmosphere.
The American Meteor Society collected more than 200 eyewitness reports. These came from residents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Additional reports were filed from New York and Connecticut.
Such events occur when space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. Friction with the air causes them to heat up and glow brightly. Most meteors of this size completely burn up before reaching the ground.
Local news outlet 6abc Philadelphia requested any additional video from the public. They provided a form on their website for submissions. This helps document and analyze the celestial event further.[]
Source: 6abc Philadelphia
