meteor

Meteor spotted in New England on Friday

Mt. Washington Observatory

Authorities spotted what appears to be a fireball in New England's sky early Friday morning.

The Mount Washington Observatory's tower camera spotted the fireball or meteor across the sky around 3 a.m.

Meteorologist Matt Noyes said the fireball was probably caught on many people's doorbell and other outdoor cameras, adding that it was in the eastern sky but nearly overhead for the Boston area.

"Lit up the sky like daylight briefly," NBC10 Boston's chief meteorologist said.

According to the American Meteor Society a fireball is another term for a very bright meteor, generally brighter than magnitude -4, which is about the same magnitude of the planet Venus in the morning or evening sky.

On the other hand, a bolide is a special type of fireball which explodes in a bright terminal flash at its end, often with visible fragmentation, according to the AMS.

Contact Us