‘Fireball’ Meteor Caught On Camera Soaring Over North Carolina At 32,000 MPH

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A screengrab from viewer Brandon Warren’s video of a fireball meteor taken on Friday, Sept. 24, at 7:40 p.m. in Willow Spring, N.C.

Brandon Warren

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Brandon Warren

Brandon Warren/American Meteor Society
YouTube

The fireball traveled 26 miles through Earth’s upper atmosphere, later disintegrating 28 miles above Morehead City.

Up to 150 people across Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia also reported seeing a streaking fireball go across their states, AMS reports.

Friday’s fireball was captured in two different videos, with one video featured by AMS having over 200,000 views.

So, what exactly is a «fireball?» Fireballs, according to experts, are considered to be «exceptionally bright» meteors that appear brighter than the planet Venus.

Most commonly, fireballs are seen by «ground-based observers» at night.

«Several thousand» fireball meteors occur in Earth’s atmosphere each day, with the vast majority taking place over oceans and unpopulated regions, according to AMS.

• American Meteor Society
• fireball
• North Carolina
• NASA