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In an extraordinary event that has captivated multiple states, citizens from at least three regions reported witnessing a fireball streaking across the sky. Dash cam footage captured earlier today in South Carolina shows a bright streak moving rapidly across the screen, leaving many astonished.
According to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins, accounts of this phenomenon have surfaced from areas as far as Atlanta, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Many individuals described their homes shaking, leading to speculation that the object may have broken the sound barrier. Concerned residents even reached out to fire departments, fearing the fireball might have landed nearby due to its low trajectory.
The National Weather Service in Charleston has since provided insight into the event with a map indicating that their lightning detection system picked up signals from the fireball, which occurred in clear air. There is speculation that the object may have been a single fireball or, potentially, multiple fragments, as eyewitnesses in Atlanta reported seeing it directly overhead.
In the realm of astronomy, several terms are worth noting. A meteoroid refers to a small piece of rock. If a meteoroid is substantial, it is classified as an asteroid. When a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it becomes a meteor, the phenomenon often referred to as a “shooting star” by observers. Should any fragments survive the atmospheric entry and land on Earth, they are classified as meteorites. This recent event has sparked intrigue and excitement among both amateur and serious astronomers alike.
