A meteor may have made a fiery entrance into the earth's atmosphere on Sunday after a number of people in Ontario reported seeing a flash of blue in the sky and hearing a loud boom.
Scientists have not confirmed the event, but the American Meteor Society currently has at least a dozen pending investigations in connection with the reported meteor strike.
On Sunday afternoon, several people in the Greater Toronto Area reported seeing something resembling a meteor trail.
— Veronica (@iVeronica) May 4, 2014
#meteor, #Peterborough pic.twitter.com/bG1nLrU8ct
— Lawrence (@lhaddlesey) May 4, 2014
Just saw a meteorite falling in Oakville, Ontario. From my pov 63• NE. APPX 1-3 kms away. No boom. #meteorite #meteor #oakville
— Simon D. Scott (@Simon_D_Scott) May 4, 2014
Meteor just went over cobourg/porthope and broke the sound barrier. Just heard the sonic boom #meteor
— Lily Garner (@Lily_garner) May 4, 2014
@jvarmazis just saw that to 401 at yorkdale appeared to be Scarborough maybe?
— Christa Meloni (@ChristaMeloni) May 4, 2014
A streak of light that resembles a meteor can be seen in the distance at the four second mark of a video posted to YouTube Sunday. The video was reportedly captured by a person in a vehicle near Toronto.
A sighting of the possible meteor was even reported in Rochester, New York.
@13WHAM All I have is smoke trail of the #ROC #Meteor pic.twitter.com/r5xI9pE7TI
— Jesse Jordan (@jessejordan06) May 4, 2014
Sunday's reported meteor strike comes a day before the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. According to NASA, the annual shooting star show -- which occurs each spring as the earth passes through the debris trail from Halley’s Comet -- is expected to occur on the night of May 5 and 6.
NASA says the meteor rate is expected to be about 30 per hour in the northern hemisphere and 60 per hour in the southern hemisphere.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstville, Ala. will live stream the event on both nights.
