A fireball was seen all over the area on Sunday night

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Late Sunday night, a home security camera captured this stunning sight. It is a ball of fire flying clear over the sky shortly after midnight.

When there is a bright fireball it is usually seen for hundreds of miles, and often over several states. According to the American Meteor Association (yes, that’s a fact!) There were over 200 reports with the majority of those in Pennsylvania. Other reports came in from as far afield as Ohio, Connecticut, Toronto and North Carolina.

What’s even more interesting is that there were four fireball reports this weekend

Several videos were shared on social media. To be honest, this video (the one above) is the first one someone sent me from our local area.

  • The American Meteor Association reports that the fireball was moving northwest at 51,000 miles per hour.
  • The fireball traveled 38 miles through the atmosphere before exploding over the Newburg city of Pennsylvania.
  • The cause was an asteroidal crumb weighing 7 pounds and about 5 inches in diameter.

The video below is from Arlington, VA.

A ball of fire is brighter than the planet Venus. So it’s just another name for a really big meteor. How often do these happen?

The American Meteorological Association says that several thousand fireworks occur every day! However, with most of our planet like water, not many of these fireballs are visible. It is also very rare to see one in daylight, in fact the brighter it is, the better the chance.

This is a daytime fireball from February 2020.

The AMS states that the brighter the fireball, the rarer it is.

Have you ever seen one? If you do, you can report it. Remember as much information as possible about the guide and how clear it was. Here is the link to report one:

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