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The appearance of a fireball in the sky of the United States. (Photo: Instagram @wernertedescophotography)
JAKARTA – A large fireball crossed the sky of the United States on Sunday evening local time, triggering panic among local residents.
The blaze of light from the exploding celestial body illuminated the skies of Virginia, Washington DC, New Jersey and New York, United States.
Quoted from the Daily Mail, the fireball was estimated to have traveled at 36,000 mph and caused a loud explosion.
The fireball is believed to be a meteor from outer space that entered the Earth’s atmosphere. Reports of fireball sightings started coming in at 9.30pm on Sunday when the explosion was first seen. Fireballs were seen as far south as Richmond, Virginia, and as far north as New York.
Netizens also shared dozens of photos and videos showing a large explosion from the fireball. “What’s amazing is how bright it is,” tweeted one netizen from Virginia.
Experts say the fireball is most likely a meteor that spanned the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
According to the NASA Meteor Watch Facebook page, the fireball was first spotted about 50 miles above Forest Hill, Maryland. At that time, he was recorded traveling through space at a speed of 36,000 mph. From there, the fireball entered Pennsylvania.
“The fireball disintegrated 22 miles above Gnatstown in Pennsylvania, reaching a brightness equivalent to a quarter of the Moon and traveling more than 55 miles through the atmosphere,” one post said.
Comments on the post were filled with users sharing their experiences of seeing fireballs.