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Early on the morning of Tuesday, an explosion lit up the sky of Maine in Portsmouth Harbor. The event was observed from several states. The fireball was caused by a massive meteor lighting up while traversing the atmosphere of the Earth.
Fire in the Sky
The meteor had been registered by a police dashcam and other video cameras around the states. Everyone seeing the explosion was dazzled by such a bright apparition on the sky.
The American Meteor Society reports having received almost 700 messages from eight states concerning the explosion. The meteor shone from an incredible distance, and it was seen even from New Jersey.
Witnesses of the explosion say that the apparition took place somewhere between 12:45 and 12:55 AM. The fireball needed from 8 to 10 seconds to cool off and eventually disappear.
For those seconds, the sky was full of light, colored in shades of blue and green with an orange glow in the middle. People who managed to see it compared it to a firework going downwards. The meteor was significantly bright, which makes the apparition one of the most spectacular this year.
People who did not manage to see it at such a late hour can watch the massive explosion as it was recorded by tens of viewers from several states.
The folklore evolving around meteors is rich in significance and variety. But all agree that this is somehow a sign from the sky, whereas the actual rock can bring luck – or just be presented as a trophy between friends.
$20.000 Reward
This fantastic event brought an interesting 10 seconds visual experience. As usually meteors do not burn completely when entering the Earth’s atmosphere, people may soon start a quest for the meteor’s remains.
As this was considered to be a singular and important event, the Mineral and Gem Museum from Maine offered a $20.000 reward for the first person who should find a one-kilogram piece of the massive meteorite.
Scientists believe that the bright flare might have been the result of a single rock that broke into two pieces as it entered the atmosphere of the Earth. This could explain its unusual brightness, and also increase the chances of finding a piece big enough as to convince the Museum to share the reward.
Image Source: Wikipedia
