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6 of the most spectacular meteors ever caught on camera

by Robin Bea
Updated: 
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NASA

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It's a fairly common occurrence for a meteor to enter Earth's atmosphere, but spotting a bright fireball is still rare enough to be thrilling.

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While they're easiest to see during a meteor shower, these beautiful streaks of light can be spotted throughout the year.

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Here are 6 of the most spectacular meteors ever caught on tape.

6. A meteor was caught on camera over Australia on February 14, 2021.

The meteor's descent could clearly be seen above the Melbourne skyline.

Fernando Braga

5. A slow-moving meteor was spotted above the U.K. on February 28, 2021.

U.K. Meteor Network

People as far as Northern Ireland to Belgium reported seeing a flash to the U.K. Meteor Network.

U.K. Meteor Network

4. A meteor on January 16, 2017 was visible from Missouri to Ontario.

It traveled at a speed of 28,000 miles per hour.

3. A meteor over Arizona on June 2, 2016 glowed blue on camera.

A cloud of vaporized rock hung in the sky until early morning, and meteorite fragments were found in the town of Cibecue.

Orephiuchus

2. A bright, fast meteor appeared over Alberta, Canada on February 22, 2021.

The American Meteor Society also received reports and videos from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Montana.

Hugh Bectold/American Meteor Society

1. A fireball scattered meteorites around Chelyabinsk, Russia on February 15, 2013.

Aleksandr Ivanov

More than 1,500 people were injured when the meteor exploded, mostly by glass shattered by the shockwave.

Alex Alishevskikh

Ammar Selmanovic / EyeEm/EyeEm/Getty Images

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