A fireball is shooting over the mid-Atlantic states at 36,000 miles per hour

Hundreds watched in awe Sunday night as a fireball hurtled across the mid-Atlantic.

the fireballThe meteor, which was exceptionally bright, became visible for the first time 47 miles above Forest Hill, Maryland, according to NASA. It sped northwest at 36,000 mph and disintegrated 22 miles above Gnatstown, Pennsylvania.

NASA said on its website that the fireball was as bright as a quarter of the moon and moved 55 miles through the atmosphere. Watching the meteor page on Monday. By studying its orbit and trajectory, scientists determined that the object that produced the meteorite was a small fragment of an asteroid, which probably originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

What is the difference between a fireball, meteor and asteroid?

Fireball, also known as poldi, is an astronomical term for a fireball bright meteor This is “amazing enough to see over a very wide area,” according to NASA. Fireballs that explode in the atmosphere are usually called darts, although the terms are used interchangeably.

Meteorites can be considered space rocks, according to NASA. They range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. They become meteorites when they enter the Earth’s atmosphere (or another planet’s atmosphere) and burn up.

If a meteor survives a journey through the atmosphere and hits the Earth, it is known as a meteorite.

asteroids They are small rocky bodies usually found in a ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter called the asteroid belt.

How many people have seen Fireball?

More than 400 people Report seeing a fireball, according to the American Meteorite Society. Viewings came from Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia. Washington, D.C. residents also spotted the fireball.

says the organization Report fireballs It alerts them to “events of potentially scientific interest, and contributes to the general database of knowledge about meteorites.”

What’s next for astronomy fans?

NASA notices Venus It returns to the morning sky this month. It may be visible in the eastern sky before sunrise throughout the month. According to the space agency, Venus will appear somewhat high in the sky from the northern hemisphere.

The September 28 full moon, known as the Harvest Moon, will be the last of four consecutive supermoons this year. It will appear after sunset on September 28th and reach its peak on September 29th.

The supermoon appears about 16% brighter than the regular moon. It also appears larger than the average full moon. according to NASAIt’s like the size difference between a quarter and a nickel. This phenomenon occurs when the moon’s orbit is at its closest point to Earth at the same time that the moon is full.