A fireball that stunned onlookers in northern Vermont as it shot through its skies travelled at such speed that it rattled buildings.
The space rock, branded by Nasa a “nice little firework, courtesy Mother Nature”, was recorded travelling at a speed of 42,000 miles per hour.
The bright fireball – thought to be the fragment of a meteor – was seen by hundreds of witnesses at about 5.38pm on Sunday as it streaked through the skies as the sun readied to set.
According to a Facebook post by Nasa, the fireball was travelling deeper into the atmosphere when pressure piled in front of it while a partial vacuum formed behind, causing it to burst.
“About 30 miles up, the pressure difference between front and back exceeded its structural strength,” the post reads.
“The space rock fragmented violently, producing a pressure wave that rattled buildings and generated the sound heard by those near the trajectory.
An initial post by Nasa said an analysis of reports suggests the meteor was first spotted at a height of 52 miles (84 kilometers) above Mount Mansfield State Forest.
It then moved northeast before traversing 33 miles (53 kilometers) through the upper atmosphere. It then burned up at 33 miles (53 kilometers) above Beach Hill in Orleans County south of Newport.
Al Gregoritsch, of South Burlington, told an NBC affiliate, “I was very excited to see it. It’s a phenomenon I will never forget.”
Witnesses commented on the Facebook post to share their experience of sighting the incredible phenomena.
One said the fireball was “super bright white and broke up into a few pieces”.
Another said he saw the phenomena in Connecticut while driving north towards Enfield and thought it was a “shooting star”.
One witness described how she was in the hot tub when she saw the fireball and confused the noise of her jets for the likely meteor fragment.
“I saw most of it streaking before my eyes on Old Stage Road in Williston while sitting in a hot tub!
“Coolest thing I have seen in a long time!”
