NASA confirms rare daytime fireball crashed over New York City at 38,000 mph

Residents in and around New York City had the opportunity to catch a rare astronomical event confirmed by NASA's Meteor Watch.

Earth's atmosphere is beaten up by asteroids of various sizes every day, with the majority of these entries taking place over oceans where humanity is unable to see them. Additionally, when an asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere and begins to build up heat from the friction generated by piercing dense atmosphere, it will eventually catch on fire, earning it the "fireball" title. These fireballs are difficult to see during the daytime and are commonly called "shooting stars" at night.

NASA estimates that 48.5 tons of space rocks fall through Earth's atmosphere every day, with the vast majority of the material being burned up by our planet's dense atmosphere. As for the New York City fireball, NASA estimates the space rock was around 1 foot in diameter and traveled at an astonishing 38,000 mph upon entry, far exceeding the speed of sound.

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Sightings

Reports indicate residents heard some booms at the time of the entry, but it remains to be seen if the fireball caused those sounds, especially since there are reports of military activity taking place in the area.

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