Fireball streaks through the skies over Northern Virginia
http://www.insidenova.com/news/local/northernva/fireball-streaks-through-the-skies-over-northern-virginia/article_734854ea-a016-11e3-abb3-0019bb2963f4.html
An apparent fireball streaked through the skies over the Washington area Thursday evening, prompting dozens of reports to the American Meteor Society.
“It was a beautiful greenish white with a long tail,” an observer in Vienna reported.
“The fireball moved very fast and was brighter by far than any meteor I've ever witnessed. It almost looked like a fast moving green flare,” wrote a Springfield resident.
The fireball was spotted about 7 p.m., in many cases by people driving. An Alexandria resident noted that the meteor’s path appeared to run parallel to Interstate 395.
NASA, the FAA and the National Weather Service have yet to weigh in on the sky phenomena.
According to the American Meteor Society, fireballs are very bright meteors, about as bright as Venus in the morning and evening skies.
About 10 to 15 meteorites fall to Earth each day, but sightings are rare since streaking fireballs often fall over the ocean, or during daylight hours when they can't be seen.
NASA image of a fireball from a past meteor shower.
http://www.insidenova.com/news/local/northernva/fireball-streaks-through-the-skies-over-northern-virginia/article_734854ea-a016-11e3-abb3-0019bb2963f4.html
An apparent fireball streaked through the skies over the Washington area Thursday evening, prompting dozens of reports to the American Meteor Society.
“It was a beautiful greenish white with a long tail,” an observer in Vienna reported.
“The fireball moved very fast and was brighter by far than any meteor I've ever witnessed. It almost looked like a fast moving green flare,” wrote a Springfield resident.
The fireball was spotted about 7 p.m., in many cases by people driving. An Alexandria resident noted that the meteor’s path appeared to run parallel to Interstate 395.
NASA, the FAA and the National Weather Service have yet to weigh in on the sky phenomena.
According to the American Meteor Society, fireballs are very bright meteors, about as bright as Venus in the morning and evening skies.
About 10 to 15 meteorites fall to Earth each day, but sightings are rare since streaking fireballs often fall over the ocean, or during daylight hours when they can't be seen.
NASA image of a fireball from a past meteor shower.