WASHINGTON — A possible meteor was caught on camera throughout the D.C. region on Sunday night. Several DMV residents tagged us in video and photos of the stunning sight streaking across the sky.
Jon Rohrbach shared Ring doorbell video of the bright fireball falling across the sky around 9 p.m. Viewer Leigh Fitzgerald also spotted the possible meteor on her dash camera in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Photographer Werner Tedesco also caught the meteor in a beautiful photo near the Delaware Bay. The brightness of the potential meteor has some wondering whether it was a bolide. A bolide is an extremely bright meteor that explodes as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
A meteor is what it's called when a meteoroid, or "space rock," enters the Earth's atmosphere. This is also when NASA scientists refer to them as "shooting stars." When a meteoroid survives its trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it’s called a meteorite.
If you captured the meteor yourself, be sure to send it to us via the Near Me section of the WUSA9 app.
If you missed Sunday's light show, our next chance to see a meteor shower is in October.
"The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast – they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) which last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower," NASA explains on its website. "The Orionids are also framed by some of the brightest stars in the night sky, which lend a spectacular backdrop for these showy meteors."