Bright Meteoroid Lights Up the Night Sky in Massachusetts and Other States Along the East Coast

A bright meteor streaked through the night sky Wednesday, and was seen by more than 350 people across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and other parts of the East Coast. Many homeowners who captured video footage of the phenomenon first thought it was something else entirely. The American Meteor Society compiled all the reports it received, and based on preliminary results, it appears that the meteor first entered view over the open ocean, approximately 45 miles offshore southeast of Long Island. Read more for a few of the videos that homeowners captured and additional information.

Some people reported a “terminal flash,” supporting a probable explosion, which is a reasonable response considering the immense thermal and aerodynamic forces a meteor experiences to shatter it into fragmented bits. This often causes a sudden flare-up of light, occasionally followed by spray of smaller sparks as lesser fragments burn up.

“The meteor… increased in brightness in a burst of light before disappearing. There [were also] some quick yellowish dots of light trailing behind it that quickly disappeared. They looked somewhat similar to the trail of sparks that appears behind a firework,” said an observer in the northern New Haven suburbs.