Eyewitnesses in Europe were able to capture incredible videos of a bright fireball event over the region. Based on the videos, the fireball was most likely caused by a bolide, which is an asteroid that exploded mid-air as it went through the atmosphere.
According to the International Meteor Organization (IMO), the latest fireball incident happened on April 4 at around 11:44 pm EDT. In total, they received about 450 reports regarding the fireball event.
Reporting Fireball Incidents
Based on the reports compiled by the IMO, the bright fireball was spotted by eyewitnesses from different parts of Europe including Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and even France.
In their reports, the eyewitnesses noted that the fireball appeared in the sky for about three seconds. Others noted that the incident lasted a bit longer with the fireball streaking across the night sky for over seven seconds.
Capturing Fireball Events On Film
Aside from eyewitness reports, the IMO also received different photos and videos of the fireball. The clips, which were mostly captured by security cameras, were taken from different parts of Europe.
In one video, an eyewitness named Collin V. was driving along a road in Ede in the Netherlands when his car's dashcam captured a fireball flying towards the ground. In another video shared by eyewitness KM, the flash caused by the fireball can be seen illuminating the sky and several houses along a street.
Bolide Fireball Events
As seen in the videos, the fireball produced a bright flash right before it disappeared in the sky. This suggests that the object may have detonated and fragmented before hitting the ground. According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), fireballs caused by small asteroids that hit Earth, which then become meteors. Those that explode right before disappearing are referred to as bolides.
"A fireball is another term for a very bright meteor, generally brighter than magnitude -4, which is about the same magnitude of the planet Venus as seen in the morning or evening sky," the AMS explained. "A bolide is a special type of fireball which explodes in a bright terminal flash at its end, often with visible fragmentation."
