METRO DETROIT (WWJ) - If you happened to look up at the night sky on Thursday and saw what appeared to be a fireball steaking above the horizon in Metro Detroit, you're not alone.
Reports began trickling in between 7 p.m. an 8 p.m. Thursday evening after people saw what many thought was a meteor overhead.
The American Meteor Society (AMS) listed a report of a meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star or falling star, from Berkley at 7:33 p.m., but other sightings were also made from residents in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
By the end of the night, more than 600 sightings were reported, WTAE in Pittsburg said.
So what is a meteor?
Simply put, a meteor describes light emitted from a meteoroid or an asteroid as it enters and burns through Earth’s atmosphere.
"Meteoroids are lumps of rock or iron that orbit the sun. Most meteoroids are small fragments of rock created by asteroid collisions," experts said. "Comets also create meteoroids as they obit the sun and shed dust and debris."
When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, it collides with air molecules and creates a flash of light visible from the ground below, AMS added.
The strongest meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is currently active. The shower runs from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24, with a spectacular show particularly around Dec. 13 and 14.
"The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored. Due to their medium-slow velocity, persistent trains are not usually seen," the AMS said.
In a dark sky with no moon, you can see about 50 to 100 meteors per hour during the peak of the shower.
Did you capture the meteor on a doorbell camera or cell phone? Submit a photo to WWJ's Facebook or Twitter or email us at wwjnewsroom@audacy.com.
