A flash of sunshine, thrice as shiny as a full moon, lit up the night time sky over the mountains of Colorado on Sunday, Oct. 3.
As fall descends upon us, meteor season’s in full swing, and is predicted to extend as we head additional into October—It’s already began off with a bang.
A number of eyewitnesses, from Castlerock to Boulder, Colorado, reported a streak of sunshine touring north of east, round 4:30 a.m. Mountain Time, which then exploded in midair, seemingly turning night time into day for a break up second, in accordance with NASA Meteor Watch.
The spectacular meteor fireball flash was caught on a number of residential safety cameras, making an impression on-line.
With considerable sightings of the meteor reported, which have been confirmed by Cloudbait Observatory and lightning mappers aboard two satellites, the American Meteor Society is conducting an evaluation of the occasion.
“The meteor first became visible 54 miles above the mountains just east of Vail, moving slightly north of east at 55,000 miles per hour,” NASA Meteor Watch said. “During its 30 mile journey through the upper atmosphere, the object fragmented twice, causing flares of light as bright as the full Moon. It disintegrated at an altitude of 35 miles above Vasquez Peak, producing a flash of light 3 times brighter than the full Moon, briefly lighting up the sky.”
The meteor reportedly appeared outdoors of Estes Park, and is assumed to have headed someplace close to Boulder, west of Denver.
Two distinct meteor showers are at present energetic this month of October; one is the Southern Taurids, lasting from Sept. 10 to Nov. 20; the opposite is the extra spectacular Orionids, from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, peaking on Oct. 21.
Presently, stargazers can witness an estimated 13 meteors per hour within the early morning sky, in accordance with the Meteor Society.
So, regulate your door cam as meteor seasons will get busy—and share the footage for those who spot a fireball in your neck of the woods!
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