Asteroid piece vaporizes over Tennessee after lighting up sky

A meteor lit up the sky over southeastern Tennessee on Thursday evening after traveling from North Carolina, according to the New York Post. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the fireball was caused by a piece of an asteroid vaporizing in Earth's atmosphere. [1]

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that the fireball was first seen above Robbinsville, North Carolina, around 7:45 p.m. It moved at approximately 47,000 miles per hour before traveling roughly 120 miles toward East Ridge, Tennessee, in under 10 seconds. According to the New York Post, the cosmic debris disintegrated 25 miles above the surface of the Earth. [1]

Witnesses on Reddit reported seeing the fireball streak across the sky, displaying shades of blue, white, and orangish yellow, the New York Post reported. One witness described the event as the largest ball of fire they had ever seen. [1]