Fireball over Cape San Blas
Copyright: Jason Rice
Have you ever seen a fireball? In astronomy, a fireball is a very bright meteor — one at least as bright as Venus and possibly brighter than even a full Moon. Fireballs are rare — if you see one you are likely to remember it for your whole life. Physically, a fireball is a small rock that originated from an asteroid or comet that typically leaves a fading smoke trail of gas and dust as it shoots through the Earth’s atmosphere. It is unlikely that any single large ground strike occurred — much of the rock likely vaporized as it broke up into many small pieces. The featured picture was captured last week from a deadwood beach in Cape San Blas, Florida, USA. Piece it Back Together: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
Courtesy of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
