Meteor spotted in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware traveled at 30,000 mph before disintegrating, NASA says
CBS News • • science
Key Points:
- A meteor traveled over 100 miles across the Philadelphia region on Tuesday afternoon before disintegrating 27 miles above Galloway, New Jersey, according to NASA.
- More than 200 people across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut reported sightings of the meteor, with some capturing videos and hearing sonic booms.
- The meteor became visible 48 miles above the Atlantic Ocean near Long Island, moving at 30,000 miles per hour and disintegrating after traveling 117 miles through the atmosphere.
- NASA noted that meteors are common during the peak fireball season from February to April, but they usually occur over oceans or unpopulated areas.
- Clarifying terminology, NASA explained that a meteoroid is a small asteroid in space, a meteor is the light emitted as it burns entering Earth's atmosphere, a fireball is a very bright meteor, and a meteorite is a fragment that reaches the ground.
