A fireball was reportedly spotted over New Jersey and much of the Northeast Oct. 9, according to witnesses who reported their sightings on social media and to the American Meteor Society.
“Did anyone see a fireball in the sky over Wayne, New Jersey this evening?” a Wayne resident asked in a post on Facebook shortly after 7 p.m. Oct. 9, accompanied by photos of a bright yellow light streaking through the sky.
This post has since gathered more than 120 comments and 300 likes, with some commenters describing a similar sighting or adding their own photos.
At least 95 others across the Northeast also saw a fireball that night, according to the American Meteor Society, a nonprofit scientific organization that gathers data and reports of fireballs, meteors, meteor showers and related phenomena.
Throughout the night on Oct. 9, the American Meteor Society received fireball reports from New Jersey residents in Plainsboro Township, Cherry Hill Township, Holmdel, Berlin, Ocean Township, Woodstown, Brick Township and South Brunswick Township.
Around the same time, reports also came in from Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, among other states.
A fireball is another term for a very bright meteor, according to the American Meteor Society. If you see a fireball, you can report it at https://fireball.amsmeteors.org//members/imo/report_intro/.
Harvest moon, meteor showers in New Jersey sky
It has been an eventful week in the skies over New Jersey, as dozens of residents flocked outside on the night of Oct. 6 to capture photos of the harvest moon.
As previously reported by NorthJersey.com, the October full moon orbited closer to Earth than all the other full moons this year so far, making it appear bigger and brighter than usual.
Monday, Oct. 6 also brought the beginning of the Draconid meteor shower, which was scheduled to peak on the night of Oct. 8. However, as reported by USA TODAY, the light of the moon may have hindered stargazers’ view.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Fireball sightings reported in NJ, surrounding states Oct. 9
