Video shows a meteorite exploding into a green fireball over Michigan’s Great Lakes. This dramatic event was likely caused by comet debris burning up in the atmosphere.
At approximately 5:29 a.m. ET on Sunday (November 23), dozens of witnesses reported seeing a meteor streak across the sky before exploding in a ball of flame. Cameras set up by a group called Michigan Storm Chasers captured the object’s rapid passage and violent descent, the group said in a Facebook post.
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One video sent to AMS captured a spectacular fireball flying through the air from Coldwater, Michigan, and another video showed a striped light show from Tecumseh, Michigan.
NASA then tracked the meteor’s path using video and other reports. NASA representatives wrote that it became visible 62 miles (100 km) above Lake Hubbard, then raced another 82 miles (132 km) at 98,500 miles per hour (160,000 km/h) before disintegrating 46 miles (74 km) above Lake Huron.
The striped fireball was likely a one-time event and was not part of a broader meteor shower, such as the ongoing Leonid meteor shower from November 6th to November 30th. The Leonid meteor shower is known for its speed, hitting Earth’s atmosphere at around 160,000 miles per hour (260,000 kilometers per hour). This speed often produces bright meteors or fireballs, some of which leave a lasting mark. “This phenomenon appears to have been caused by small comet debris and was not part of an active meteor shower,” NASA representatives wrote.
Most comets and meteors can be seen with the naked eye, but you need good astrophotography equipment to photograph them.
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According to AMS, fireball meteors can emit a green color due to high concentrations of metals such as nickel, but faster meteors typically produce more vibrant colors. Other elements can produce fireballs of different colors, for example, sodium produces a bright yellow color, while magnesium appears blue-white, according to AMS.
A similar green color is also emitted by other bolide meteors. For example, a green fireball was spotted over New Zealand in July 2022, and another one hit Lake Ontario in November 2022. The Ontario fireball was the smallest asteroid ever recorded in space, measuring just 16 to 24 inches (40 to 60 centimeters) wide.
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