How do I know if I saw a fireball?
A fireball is a shooting star brighter than the brightest planets. It may last a few seconds, change colour, flare or break into pieces.
Most shooting stars are quick, faint streaks. A fireball is something special: a very bright meteor.
How bright? Astronomers call a meteor a fireball if it is brighter than the planet Venus, which is the brightest thing in the night sky after the Moon. If you saw a shooting star that made you gasp, that lit up the ground or cast shadows, you probably saw a fireball.
Other clues. - It may last longer than a normal meteor, sometimes several seconds. - It may change colour, perhaps green, blue, orange or red. - It may flare, flash or break into several glowing pieces. - It may leave a glowing trail that stays for a while. - Very rarely, you might hear a boom a few minutes later, or a hiss at the same time.
What made it? Fireballs are made by bigger pieces of space rock than ordinary shooting stars, from the size of a marble to a car or more. Most still burn up completely, but a few drop meteorites.
What to do. Write down the time, where you were, which direction you were looking, where the fireball started and ended in the sky, and what it looked like. Then ask an adult to help you report it to a fireball reporting service. Your report could help scientists work out where it came from, or even find a meteorite!
Seeing a fireball is rare and exciting, so remember it well.