Long-lasting daylight fireball over southern California
A long-lasting daylight fireball was recorded over southern California at 13:38 UTC (06:38 LT) on February 22, 2023.
The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 27 reports from California, Arizona, and Nevada.
The video shows 13 seconds of the event as the object exited the frame of the video. However, one witness from Arizona said the fireball was seen for about 20 seconds.
When a fireball enters the Earth’s atmosphere at a shallow angle it experiences a longer flight path and encounters more atmospheric resistance.
The increased air resistance leads to a reduction in the fireball’s velocity, which causes it to travel at a slower speed than it would at a steeper angle of entry. As a result of the slower speed, the fireball can remain visible for a longer period of time before it disintegrates in the atmosphere.
Conversely, a fireball that enters the atmosphere at a steeper angle experiences a shorter flight path, encounters less atmospheric resistance, and maintains a higher velocity, making it less likely to remain visible for an extended period.
This is one great example of long-lasting fireball events, recorded over Pilbara, Australia on June 14, 2020:
You can read more about it here:
References:
1 Event #1179-2023 – AMS – February 22, 2023
Featured image credit: Bob Caron
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.