NASA Confirms Fireball Meteor Over 5 States

A fireball meteor was spotted over five northeastern U.S. states on Tuesday, April 7, at 2:34 p.m. EDT, according to NASA. The agency confirmed that eyewitnesses in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania reported seeing the daytime fireball. NASA stated that the meteor first appeared 48 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Mastic Beach, New York, before traveling southwest at 30,000 miles per hour. It disintegrated 27 miles above Galloway, New Jersey, after traveling 117 miles through the upper atmosphere. A fireball is a meteor that shines brighter than Venus and is caused by larger particles than those producing typical meteors. The American Meteor Society (AMS) received over 200 reports of the fireball, with many witnesses describing a bright flash and some hearing a loud boom. Reports of the meteor also came in from Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. NASA noted that fireball sightings increase during peak season from February to April, though the exact reason remains unknown. Meteors are common, but fireballs are often missed due to occurring over oceans or unpopulated areas.