METEOR

Happening to witness a bright, beautiful meteor streaking through the night is always a magical experience. But getting the chance to see many meteors fill the sky at the same time can be even more enchanting, if you know the right time to look up. We get that chance on certain dates throughout the year as the Earth’s orbit passes through dust particles left behind by comets and asteroids. Those bits of dust burn up when they hit our atmosphere, creating showers of bright, even colorful meteors (colloquially called “shooting stars,” though they aren’t stars at all).

Some people across the country were lucky enough to capture footage of a suspected fireball as it streaked across the sky on Thursday night.

Did you see a possible fireball streaking across the night sky in Southeast Michigan on Thursday night?

First there was that meteor in Pittsburgh last week, now this. An asteroid that’s estimated to be larger than the Empire State Building is due to zoom by Earth within the next two weeks or so, possibly on Jan. 18. Science Alert details how the asteroid—known by the name asteroid (7482) 1994 PC1—was first noticed by professional stargazers nearly 30 years ago (in 1994, actually, as the name implies). The space rock is measured to be about 3,280 feet in size, about two and a half times larger than the famous New York City edifice, although astronomers promise there’s no cause for concern.

What in the world was that?!

It was also heard and felt in parts of Massachusetts and Maine.

A meteor streaked through the night sky over Vermont on Sunday (March 7), creating a spectacular light show and causing Earth-shaking booms as it burned through the atmosphere. The meteor's explosive passage through the atmosphere released the equivalent of 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of TNT, suggesting that the meteor was likely 10 pounds (4.5 kg) and 6 inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, according to NASA Meteor Watch . A NASA map shows the approximate path of the meteor over Vermont on March 7, 2021. (Image credit: NASA Meteor Watch)Local news station WCAX3 reported calls from all over the state after the event, with Vermonters describing a "loud boom and body-rattling vibration" as the meteor passed overhead. It then progressed 33 miles (53 km) northeast toward the Canadian border, disappearing 33 miles (53 km) above the ground south of the town of Newport.

A yak is still on the loose in Virginia, after escaping during a trip to the butcher. Meteors owner, Robert Cissell said the yak freed itself by kicking off the back door of a livestock trailer at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. According to the Washington Post, the yak has been spotted around the area, officials think he is nearby, within two or three miles. Cissell says he plans on luring the yak back by putting sweet feed an apples in a trailer. RELATED STORIESThousands of Animals Are Stepping Up to the Scales at London ZooZoo Animals Cool Off With Popsicles During Italy's Heat WaveGorillas Open Advent Calendar as Zoo Animals Get in the Christmas Spirit

A meteor believed to be traveling at 40,000 miles per hour was visible over at least six states early Thursday morning, stunning viewers with a bright flash of light. Based upon trajectory, small pieces of the meteor are most likely spread out across the desert south of Tuscon, AZ. Vladimir Duthiers has more.

Dashcam video from the Portland, Maine police department caught a fiery meteor streaking through the night sky. CBSN's Vladimir Duthiers and Reena Ninan have more.

Meteor spotted in Austrian skies Dashcam footage captured a meteor streaking across the night sky in the Tyrol region of Austria. Sightings have also been reported in parts of Eastern France, Germany and Switzerland. CBSN's Vladimir Duthiers and Meg Oliver have more.