Many residents had the opportunity to observe and capture footage of a meteor, possibly the size of a basketball, lighting up the sky over Canada on March 24.
The bright meteor flying over Winnipeg. (Video: Alix and Jason Cruickshank)
The American Meteor Society received reports of a fireball appearing in the skies of Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan at 2:46 AM local time on March 24 from 95 witnesses. Scott Young, a planetary astronomer at the Manitoba Museum, indicated that this was the second meteor to pass through the area in just a few days.
Several bolide meteors strike Earth daily, but most go unobserved.
According to Young, both objects appeared to be bolides, a rare and brighter version of a typical meteor. “Every day, several bolide meteors strike Earth, but most go unobserved because they fall over the ocean or are obscured by clouds. These objects are very special in terms of brightness and are much larger than typical meteors. Each bolide can be as large as a basketball. It is difficult to determine the specifics until we analyze all the footage,” Young said.
Since the two meteors fell one day apart, astronomers are unsure whether they are related or merely coincidentally appeared close together in time. Young mentioned that some meteor fragments might fall to the ground. This is why the videos captured by witnesses are extremely valuable, as they help experts determine the trajectory and narrow down the search area for debris.
Of the 95 witnesses, 8 submitted videos documenting the event to the AMS. The meteor traveled eastward toward Ontario. One video by Alix and Jason Cruickshank captured the meteor illuminating the sky above Winnipeg.
