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:

Spectacular, long-lasting green fireball recorded over Pilbara, Western Australia

References:

¹ Event #1179-2023 – AMS – February 22, 2023

Featured image credit: Bob Caron