It certainly lit up the sky as the video from Officer Hendee shows.
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As one witness told Boston.com: “One of the most fantastic things I’ve ever seen in the night sky”. The department shared a video on Facebook with a tongue-in-cheek message that I’m sure UFO enthusiasts will take a little too seriously.
This image of a meteor was posted to the Portsmouth Harbor Webcam Facebook page.
The AMS received more than 330 reports as of Tuesday afternoon from spectators who say they spotted the fireball in eight states and parts of Ontario and Québec.
The society described the meteor as “an awesome experience for witnesses”.
According to the American Meteor Society, the fireball blazed across the sky around 12:50 AM EST (4:50 GMT), and was bright enough to be seen for hundreds of miles. The debris itself is called a meteroid.
Several fireballs in the sky have made recent headlines. NASA estimates that meteors of such a size chance upon our atmosphere at least once a year, producing huge fireballs, which, nevertheless, burn up before reaching the ground. Many are masked by daylight, according to the American Meteor Society.
The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum suspects the meteor crashed into the woods of northwestern Maine, based on preliminary findings.
The meteorite would be put on display in the museum, officials said.
Barrett also says it’s a good idea to bring a metal detector or a magnet, because meteorites contain iron. The fireball shot through at just after midnight on Tuesday morning, but police officers in nearby communities got some pretty incredible dash-cam footage.
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A resident of New Hampshire described the event as “absolutely fantastic”.
