Meteor

The space rock is due to come within just one third the distance between Earth and moon, and will be travelling at nearly 35,000 miles per hour.

"It's a reminder that we need to stay vigilant and know how to protect ourselves and detect these before they happen," said a planetary scientist.

The bright fireball spotted in northern U.S. states and Canada was potentially as big as a basketball, unlike most which are about the size of a grain of sand.

"I still can't quite believe the photo caught it so perfectly," Wil Cheung, who took the photo, said. "I know I'll never take another shot like that again. It's a real one-in-a-million stuff."

The area, which scientists have named the Wyoming Crater Field, is in a triangular area between the cities of Laramie, Douglas and Casper.

Space researcher Sara Motaghian described the results as "really cool" to Newsweek, and said they could help in the search for life on the surface of Mars.

The meteor traveling over Pittsburgh was about a yard in diameter with a mass of about half a ton and was traveling at roughly 45,000 mph.

The annual shower is considered one of the best of the year and is caused by a huge space rock called 3200 Phaethon.

The asteroid will be accompanied by a space rock smaller than a Boeing 747, and be trailed on Saturday by an object larger than the Washington Monument.

Between October and December Earth passes through debris left by the comet Encke, with pebbles creating fireballs as they hit the atmosphere at around 65,000 miles per hour.

In a double treat for skywatchers on Thursday, the Orionids peak in the morning, while Uranus will be seen in the evening in the light of a full moon.

The fiery meteor was captured by several security cameras as it passed overhead in the dead of night.

The shower will only peak for a night but has been known to put on some of the most spectacular light shows of the last century.

The meteor broke apart 28 miles above the state and was reported by 148 eyewitnesses.

When the meteor exploded, it released at least 1,000 times more energy than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, the study says.

The fireball flew across the evening sky on Sunday, creating several bright flashes and—as reported by one observer—even an explosion-like sound.

The Perseids are considered the best meteor shower of the year, as the Earth passes through the debris trail of a huge comet and bright streaks light up the sky.

Asteroid 2021 GW4, which flew past Earth last night, was first spotted by astronomers on April 4, according to NASA.

The space agency said it had received over 100 eyewitness reports and also detected the sound made by the fireball.

Some eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud boom, which sounded like "big trucks crashing."

One witness described the event as an "enormous ball of light in the sky," as scientists say remains of the meteorite may have landed north of Innoko River.

The asteroids, called 2020 RO and 2020 PM7, will pass safely on September 25 and 29 respectively more than 1.7 million miles away.

"It was really a spectacular observation. People have captured something very special here," said Glen Nagle from the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.

The explosion over Siberia, which has come to be known as the "Tunguska event," has long puzzled experts.

Throughout history, there have been various claims of people being struck and killed by meteorites.

The object "very likely" disintegrated before touching the ground, Mexican authorities said.

Nearly two-thirds of likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters said they would prefer a life-extinguishing meteor strike against the Earth over President Trump being re-elected in November.

Residents in Los Angeles and San Diego shared footage of a bright light trail across the sky, which many have claim to be a meteor.

The annual event usually begins around October 2, picking up steam towards the middle of the month and petering out as we head into November.

The Perseids are the result of debris being released from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle as it speeds past the Earth in its orbit around the sun.