What is a fireball?
What is the difference between a fireball and a bolide? A fireball is another term for a very bright meteor, generally brighter than magnitude -3 or -4, which is about the same magnitude of the planet Venus in the morning or evening sky. A bolide is a special type of fireball which explodes in a bright terminal flash at its end, often with visible fragmentation. If you happen to see one of these memorable events, we would ask that you report it to the American Meteor Society, remembering as many details as possible. This will include things such as brightness, length across the sky, color, and duration (how long did it last), it is most helpful of the observer will mentally note the beginning and end points of the fireball with regard to background star constellations, or compass direction and angular elevation above the horizon.
What is the difference between a fireball and a bolide? 2. How frequently do fireballs occur? 3. Can you see fireballs in daylight, and will a fireball leave a trail? 4. I saw a very bright meteor. Did anyone else see it, and to whom should I report it? 5. Can fireballs appear in different colors? 6. Can a fireball create a sound? Will the sound occur right away, as you watch the fireball, or is their some delay? 7. How bright does a meteor have to be before there is a chance of it reaching the ground as a meteorite? 8. Can a meteorite dropping fireball be observed all the way to impact with the ground? 9. Are meteorites “glowing” hot when they reach the ground? 10. How frequently do meteorite falls occur? 11. How big are most meteorites? Do they fall as single objects or clusters of objects? 12. How fast are meteorites traveling when they reach the ground? 13. How can I recognize a meteorite, and where should I hunt for them? 14. Where can I get a potential meteorite authenticated? 15
Chunks of metallic or stony matter frequently enter Earth’s atmosphere from space. These pieces of alien matter travelling at enormous speeds burn up due to friction with the air. The brief streak of light that results is called a meteor. Some meteors are extraordinarily bright and then they are called Fireballs. Some fireballs called bolides explode in mid-air with a sound like thunder and pieces of the fireball may fall to the earth as meteorites.
