Strange Fireball Spotted In Central New York: What Was It?

If you were out late in Central New York this week, you may have seen something strange in the sky.

What Locals Saw in Liverpool

One Liverpool resident shared on Reddit that around 11:20PM July 30th, they spotted “a very slow streaking object” moving west-northwest.

“I know there is a meteor shower kicking off,” the poster wrote, “but I’m familiar with those over the years. This wasn’t it… hot red/orange and moving slowly down towards the horizon. It was gone before I could snap a photo.”

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Locals quickly chimed in with their own theories. One user, Silvernaut, said they’ve seen similar fireballs this time of year:

“The dull red/orange ones are slower moving with a longer tail. The best one I ever saw lit up the sky, broke into fragments, and I even heard a loud POW a few seconds later. Other people at the Sunoco saw it too!”

While some joked “Oh that’s Bob,” and another suggested it could’ve been a satellite, the most likely explanation is a fireball. A fireball is a brighter-than-usual meteor that can sometimes even be heard.

How to Report a Fireball in New York State

If you ever spot one, experts want to hear from you. You can report sightings to the American Meteor Society’s Fireball Report page at fireball.amsmeteors.org. These reports help scientists track meteor activity across New York and beyond.

Whether it was a meteor or something else, one thing is clear: next time you see a fiery streak overhead, make a report… and maybe keep your camera ready.