NASA: Fireball seen over US 'probably a yard across'
Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environmental Office said the widely-reported flash in the sky was probably "a single meteor event." He told the Associated Press:
[It] looks to be a fireball that moved roughly toward the South East, going on visual reports.
Judging from the brightness, we're dealing with something as bright as the full moon.
The thing is probably a yard across. We basically have [had] a boulder enter the atmosphere over the North East.
Meteor Society verify over 300 sightings of 'fireball'
The American Meteor Society has verified over 300 witness sightings of a meteor in at least 13 US states.
Stretching from Ontario down to the southern state of North Carolina, there are still over 100 reports yet to be reviewed, said Mike Hankey, an observer for the American Meteor Society.
"This was most certainly a fireball seen over a good portion of the eastern states," said Robert Lunsford, the society's fireball coordinator.
"It happened at a good time, around 8 o'clock on a Friday night, when a lot of people were out to see it," Lunsford said.
Reports 'consistent with a meteor shower' says NASA scientist
A NASA scientist has told the Associated Press that social media reports of a meteor on the US east east seem to be consistent with the behaviour of a meteor shower.
Donald Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program in California, said: "it's unusual to have so many people see it."
