New Jerseyans who happened to be looking upward Thursday night were treated to several bright fireballs streaking down from the sky, according to preliminary reports from the American Meteor Society.
People in 13 towns across the Garden State, from Middlesex County down to Atlantic County, reported that they saw a fireball.
And at least one New Jerseyan, a resident of Blackwood in Camden County, captured a fireball on her Ring security camera.
While most people who saw a fireball — which is a bright meteor — said it streaked for 1.5 to 3.5 seconds, one witness in Paulsboro reported one that was visible for as long as 7.5 seconds.
Some sightings were reported between 8:20 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and others were reported about 11:30 p.m.
Among the towns where fireballs were spotted were Aberdeen, Atlantic City, Blackwood, Egg Harbor Township, Paulsboro, Piscataway, Spotswood, Trenton, Voorhees, Washington, West Long Branch and Westampton.
Fireballs were also reported Thursday night and early Friday morning by more than 360 people in other eastern states, including Delaware, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
It’s difficult to determine whether the fireballs were simply random particles drifting through the atmosphere, or if they were directly linked to two annual meteor showers that are currently active, according to Amie Gallagher, planetarium director at Raritan Valley Community College in Somerset County.
“Depending on where it radiates from, it could be a Taurid, or a Leonid, or just a random fireball,” Gallagher said.
“Fireballs are definitely possible at any time … on any night of the year,” she noted.
The Taurid meteor shower reached its peak of activity on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, but occasional meteors from that shower can linger through early December.
And the Leonid meteor shower, known as one of the best meteor displays of the autumn season because of its bright fireballs, started to be visible on Nov. 3 and will continue to produce occasional meteors through Dec. 2.
The Leonids are expected to be most active during the late-night hours on Sunday, Nov. 16, and into the early morning hours on Monday, Nov. 17.
Gallagher said meteors from the Taurid shower tend to originate from the constellation Taurus, and meteors from the Leonid shower radiate from the constellation Leo.
Current weather radar
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.