CLEVELAND — On a Tuesday morning, the Cleveland area experienced a startling event: a suspected meteor fell from the sky, shaking homes and startling residents with a loud boom that some likened to an explosion. People as far away as Wisconsin and Maryland reported seeing a bright fireball streak across the sky.
Astronomer Carl Hergenrother, director of the American Meteor Society, described it as a “fireball,” which suggests it was a small asteroid entering the Earth’s atmosphere. He noted that this meteor might have been as large as a softball or basketball, racing through the atmosphere at impressive speeds.
Even staff at the National Weather Service in Cleveland felt the vibrations and heard the boom. Although there were no immediate reports of debris, meteorologist Brian Mitchell indicated that some small fragments could have survived the journey, but most likely burned up during their descent.
According to Hergenrother, meteors fall somewhere in the U.S. nearly every day, with smaller pieces of space dust coming in even more frequently. Scientists actively track these events with special cameras, but the rise of smartphones means many people are now capturing these spectacular sights themselves.
In fact, a recent survey found that over 70% of Americans now have a smartphone capable of recording videos, making it easier for witnesses to share their experiences online. This has led to a surge of videos on social media shortly after such events, creating a shared excitement among those who witness meteors.
The frequency and visibility of meteors have increased in public awareness, partly due to social media platforms like Twitter, where users quickly share their findings. “Now we’re seeing them, and there’s dozens of videos popping up all the time,” Hergenrother said, highlighting this new trend in public engagement.
For more about meteors and their impact, check out the American Meteor Society for updates and resources.
Source link
news,traffic,weather,sports,classifieds,cars,jobs,homes,television,radio,salt lake,utah,local,Science,Nature,Local
