Explosion and Fireball Reported in Nevada, Possible Meteor Strike?

Reno, NV – A loud explosion followed by a fireball was reported to authorities last night in California and Nevada. Astronomers who monitor the area are saying it was probably a meteor that entered Earth’s atmosphere.

Nicole Carsen of Reno, Nevada said,

“It made the shades in my room shake hard enough to slam into the window a couple times. I kept looking for earthquake information, but (there was) nothing. I even checked the front of my house to make sure no one ran into the garage. I wish I had seen the meteor.”

Residents reported seeing a large streaking light source across the sky at around 8:00 pm Sightings occurred over a 600 mile wide radius with calls coming in from Reno, Elko and North Las Vegas in Nevada, and the San Francisco, Sacramento and Bakersfield areas in California.

Astronomers said the type of meteor that likely was seen is called a fireball, which is a very bright type of meteor.

Robert Lunsford of the Geneseo, N.Y.-based American Meteor Society said,

“From the reports, I have no doubt it was a fireball. It happens all the time, but most are in daytime and are missed. This one was extraordinarily bright in the daylight.”

Lunsford said it is very rare for a fireball to be accompanied by an explosion. He said most fireballs break up around 50 miles in the sky while the ones that produce explosions break up around 5 miles up.

Lunsford said to the Associated Press,

“If you hear a sonic boom or loud explosion, that’s a good indication that some fragments may have reached the ground. We’ll have to get some people to work on it to pinpoint where it broke up and see if anything can be found on the ground.

Even tough the Fireball was potted over a 600 mile radius, it was probably only a little bigger than a washing machine.