Huge Glowing Fireball Spotted Above Parts of New York State

Residents in New York State and a number of other states reported a bright, glowing object over the skies Wednesday night.

The American Meteor Society describes the event as a "fireball."

Fireballs are defined by the International Astronomical Union as "a meteor brighter than any of the planets". Meteors and fireballs can easily light up the sky, as these fast-moving space rocks often burn up in the upper parts of Earth's atmosphere upon entry.

See Also: Did a Meteor Explode Over New York State?

NASA estimates that around 48.5 tons of "meteoritic material falls on Earth every day." Most do not ever reach the ground.

Meteor/Fireball Reported Over New York and Other Eastern States 

Fox Weather says that people in portions of New York State reported to the American Meteor Society that they witnessed a meteor falling to Earth.

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CBS says that the "glittering" object was seen by around 200 people, in around a dozen states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and Canada, at around 6:50 PM Wednesday night.

The Washington Post reports that the AMS’s trajectory algorithm estimates the object was traveling from "southwest to northeast" through "western Pennsylvania before it disintegrated in the atmosphere."

Back in January 2024, a resident's Wyze smart camera showed another meteor streaking across the sky above Chestertown in Warren County.

The fireball was seen falling towards Earth before suddenly brightening, and then dimming before burning up completely.

Did a Meteor Strike Dutchess County A Few Years Ago?

You may remember reports of the bright fireball that was seen all over the eastern part of the country in November 2020. Some outlets, such as the Gothamist, claim the space rock actually crashed somewhere in the area. Hundreds of reports poured in from witnesses all over the east coast at around 7:22 P.M. that evening.

The American Meteor Society says the fireball's visible light trail ended somewhere over Poughkeepsie, according to the reports they received.

So, probably no.