Watch Video: A fireball meteor illuminates the sky above North Carolina during SpaceX launch
Thursday, November 11, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
Key Highlights
- A meteor streaked over the heavens above Martin, Edgecombe, and Nash Counties for a brief moment.
- According to over 200 reports from the American Meteor Society (AMS) and NASA cameras in western North Carolina, it was visible for just 3.5 seconds beginning about 48 miles northeast of Greenville, NC and travelling northwest at approximately 33,000 miles per hour.
- According to those reports, particularly the object's brightness, it was estimated to be around the size of a football and weigh between 40 and 45 pounds before disintegrating about 28 miles southeast of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
- Trajectory of meteor over eastern NC on Nov 10, indicates that this was a member of the Taurid meteor shower, which reaches its climax this week.
- It was almost certainly a fragment of Asteroid 2004 TG10, which passes through our region of the solar system every 3.3 years.
Advertisement
As many stepped outside Wednesday night to catch a sight of four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule en route to the International Space Station, they were met with another surprise. A meteor streaked over the heavens above Martin, Edgecombe, and Nash Counties for a brief moment.
Were you aware of it? Submit images and video here.
According to over 200 reports from the American Meteor Society (AMS) and NASA cameras in western North Carolina, it was visible for just 3.5 seconds beginning about 48 miles northeast of Greenville, NC and travelling northwest at approximately 33,000 miles per hour.
According to those reports, particularly the object's brightness, it was estimated to be around the size of a football and weigh between 40 and 45 pounds before disintegrating about 28 miles southeast of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Advertisement
Additionally, the trajectory indicates that this was a member of the Taurid meteor shower, which reaches its climax this week. It was almost certainly a fragment of Asteroid 2004 TG10, which passes through our region of the solar system every 3.3 years. This asteroid may be composed entirely of debris from Comet 2P Encke.
The UFO appears to disintegrate near the horizon in videos. Scientists refer to objects this bright as bolides or fireballs, comparing them to the planet Venus. If any fragments of this space rock survive the fall, which is quite improbable, they are referred to as meteorites.
Advertisement
If you witnessed the fireball, contact the American Meteor Society. A trajectory is estimated using crowdsourced reports.
Advertisement