The American Meteor Society has
received reports of a bright fireball meteor being seen over much of
the northwest of North America at about 11.55 pm local time on Friday 2 September 2016 (about 6.55 am on Saturday 3 September GMT).
The fireball was seen across Oregon, Washington and British Colombia, though the majority of sightings came from Oregon. A fireball is defined as a meteor
(shooting star) brighter than the
planet Venus. These are typically caused by pieces of rock burning up in
the atmosphere, but can be the result of man-made space-junk burning up
on re-entry.
Dashcam image of the 2 September 2016 Oregon fireball. Peter Burkhard/American Meteor Society.
Objects of this size probably enter the Earth's atmosphere several times a year, though unless they do so over populated areas they are unlikely to be noticed. They are officially described as fireballs if they produce a light brighter than the planet Venus. It is possible that this object will have produced meteorites that reached the surface (an object visible in the sky is a meteor, a rock that falls from the sky and can be physically held and examined is a meteorite).
Witness reports can help astronomers to understand these events. If you witnessed this fireball you can report it to the American Meteor Society here.
See also...



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