A dramatic fireball burst to life over New York earlier this week, illuminating the night sky in a fiery display before appearing to fragment and dim beyond detection, leaving a lingering trail in its wake.
The green-hued fireball was seen over North America at 2:29 EDT (0629 GMT) on June 25, blazing a northerly path through the early morning sky..
Its passage lasted a mere two seconds, yet was reported by stargazers in a number of states including New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, some of whom were able to capture footage of the cosmic visitor on smart doorbells and skywatching cameras.
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Fireballs can be seen when ancient pieces of solar system debris with diameters ranging from millimeters to meters slam into Earth’s atmosphere, burning up in a fiery display of cosmic pyrotechnics that can easily outshine the brightest planets in the night sky. Fireballs can be associated with a specific meteor shower, or can occur ‘sporadically’ when random chunks of debris collide with the atmosphere.
A number of weak meteor showers are currently active, including the annual June Bootid shower, which is due to hit peak activity tomorrow night (June 27). However, the June 25 fireball is likely not associated with any of them. Shooting star expert Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Association explained to Space.com that data captured on the bright meteor indicated a radiant located in the constellation Cepheus or Camelopardalis. Furthermore, it appeared to be travelling too fast to be a member of the June Bootids.
Meteors are unpredictable by their very nature. Thankfully the night sky holds countless wonders that can be explored from your own backyard! Stargazers hoping to discover the majesty of the cosmos should check out our guides to the best telescopes and binoculars available in 2025.
Those looking to get into astrophotography should also read up on the best cameras and lenses for imaging the night sky, along with our roundup of stargazing smartphone apps designed to help you navigate the sea of stars.