Fireball Lights Up the Night Sky Above New York State [VIDEO]

A homeowner's smart camera caught some pretty dramatic footage of a fireball early Sunday morning. The International Astronomical Union defines a fireball as "a meteor brighter than any of the planets". Meteors and fireballs can easily light up the sky, as these fast-moving space rocks burn up in the upper parts of Earth's atmosphere upon entry.

Back in late 2019, a meteor (or, bolide) was suspected of exploding over New York state, creating an eerie greenish glow at night.

Fireball/Meteor Seen ABove New York State 

The footage of the meteor comes from a YouTube account run by Rick Needham. The footage is from a Wyze smart camera that shows the meteor streaking across the early morning sky above Chestertown in Warren County.

The fireball is seen falling towards Earth before suddenly brightening, and then dimming before burning up completely.

Did a Meteor Strike Dutchess County A Few Years Ago?

You may remember reports of the bright fireball that was seen all over the eastern part of the country in November 2020? Some outlets, such as the Gothamist, claim the space rock actually crashed somewhere in the area. Hundreds of reports poured in from witnesses all over the east coast at around 7:22 P.M. that evening.

The American Meteor Society says the fireball's visible light trail ended somewhere over Poughkeepsie, according to the reports they received.

So, probably no.

Bright Lights and Fireballs

As of now, there is no actual evidence of asteroids striking here. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but there is no "smoking gun" to speak of. Chances are, the fireball simply disintegrated in mid-air.

It actually happens a lot more than you may think. Wikipedia says an estimated 15,000 tons of space debris enter the planet's atmosphere every day. A huge majority never make it to the ground. Many fizzle out or explode in the upper atmosphere without anyone ever hearing about it.

Scientists do say a meteor may have exploded high above New York state in late 2019, causing an eerie greenish light to be seen in the sky that night, according to the many reports in the Saratoga area.

An Actual Meteorite in the Hudson Valley

Once a meteor strikes the surface it officially becomes a meteorite. Has it happened in the Hudson Valley? More than likely, many times. But one particular cosmic incident from 1992 stands out. It would become one of the most historic meteorite events ever documented.

The Victim: A Person's Car

The car's owner was a 17-year-old girl, who was in her home at the time of impact. She described the noise as sounding like a car crash. When she went to investigate, she found the meteorite on her car, which she described as still warm and smelling of sulfur.

Wikipedia says she later sold the vehicle to the wife of a meteorite collector, and the pieces of the rock have been put on display at many museums and collections around the world.