The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Fireball streaks across the Connecticut night sky
A bright fireball streaked across the night sky Wednesday night, passing directly over Connecticut.
The fireball, believed to be a meteor, was reported shortly after 11 p.m. It was seen along the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine, according to the American Meteor Society.
“We received 361 reports about a fireball seen over Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, NJ, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia,” the society posted on its website early Thursday morning.
Based on those reports, the path of the fireball was from the south of Long Island, passing over the Twin Forks, across Long Island Sound, over Madison and ending over North Haven.
The fireball came at the time of the Southern delta Aquariids meteor shower, according the AMS. The peak of this shower is next Monday and Tuesday.
Most meteors occur in the region of the atmosphere called the thermosphere. The AMS says this “meteoric region” lies between 50 to 75 miles in altitude. “This is a general guideline only, since very fast meteors may first become visible above this height, and slow, bright meteors may penetrate below this band.”
The majority of visible meteors are caused by particles ranging in size from about that of a small pebble down to a grain of sand, and generally weigh less than 12 grams. Meteors enter the atmosphere at speeds ranging from 25,000 and fat with a large white ball on the right side. It traveled to the right. I only saw it for a second or two. It looked very low. Soundless.”
Paula T., from Griswold, said “It seemed closer to earth than any other shooting star/meteor I’ve ever seen, it was gigantic.”
William B. from Thomaston, said, “Space is wildly awesome! Thank you.”
“I had my back to the meteor when it first appeared, so I probably didn’t catch it from its beginning,” posted Anavi U. from New Haven, “I turned around when I saw the bright flash reflected on the ground in front of me.”
Over the border in Rhode Island, Katie G., of Hopkinton, said, “I’ve never seen anything like this before. If my mom weren’t with me, I think I would have thought I was losing it. It was a huge flash of light like lightening brightening up the sky, then came the huge shooting ball of light straight from my left side windshield, all the way across the sky to where I couldn’t to 160,000 mph.
In Connecticut, reports of the fireball sighting came from New Haven, Northford, Portland, Torrington, Thomaston, Meriden, Middlefield, Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, Lisbon, Putnam, Killingly and Stonington.
“It was so bright and fast it was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” posted Ryan M. from North Haven.
Paula T., of Griswold, said “It seemed closer to Earth than any other shooting star/meteor I’ve ever seen, it was gigantic.”
Sherry D. from Bozrah, said “The tail was short see it any longer. What struck me (aside from its being so large and bright) was how low it seemed. Very cool!”
William T., of East Hampton on Long Island, said, “I have seen many bright meteors over the years, but this was the most intense and aweinspiring of my lifetime. When I first noticed it I was driving and saw what looked like the full moon coming through the trees, but I was able to see it zip overhead and explode. It was utterly sublime and indeed terrifying — I was shaking for minutes afterwards.”