bolide
Atmospheric meteor explosion
A bolide is an exceptionally bright meteor—one that explodes or fragments as it enters Earth's atmosphere, often producing a visible fireball and sometimes an audible sonic boom.
The term distinguishes these dramatic events from ordinary shooting stars: The bolide lit up the night sky across three states.
Bolides occasionally survive to strike the ground as meteorites.
Luminous meteor or explosion
- shooting starBurning debris in atmosphere
- space rockExtraterrestrial geological fragment
- airburstExplosion in the atmosphere
- streakUnbroken series
trail · luminous · incandescent · detonation · fragmentation · sonic boom · skywatching · night sky
Impact or volcanic basin
- collisionForceful contact between objects
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
- cataclysmViolent, large-scale disaster
devastation · K-Pg boundary · ejecta · impactor · kinetic energy · airburst · ground zero · aftermath
Icy orbiting body
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
- orbitalRevolving around another
- celestialOf the sky above
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
telescope · observatory · detection · tracking · trajectory · ephemeris · radiant · magnitude
fireball
Luminous meteor or explosion
- shooting starBurning debris in atmosphere
- space rockExtraterrestrial geological fragment
- airburstExplosion in the atmosphere
streak · trail · luminous · incandescent · detonation · fragmentation · sonic boom · skywatching · night sky · stargazing
crater
Impact or volcanic basin
- collisionForceful contact between objects
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
cataclysm · devastation · K-Pg boundary · ejecta · impactor · kinetic energy · airburst · ground zero · aftermath · annihilation
comet
Icy orbiting body
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
- orbitalRevolving around another
- celestialOf the sky above
interstellar · telescope · observatory · detection · tracking · trajectory · ephemeris · radiant · magnitude · transient
light show
Choreographed illumination performance
- flashBrief burst of light
- brilliantIntensely bright or gifted
- dazzlingOverwhelmingly bright or impressive
blazing · incandescent · glowing · streak · trail · witness · sighting · footage · viral · dashboard camera