See Blue ‘Meteor’ Over Switzerland and Austria

A meteor apparently flew over Switzerland and Austria on Sunday night.
See Blue ‘Meteor’ Over Switzerland and Austria
The meteor over Austria and Switzerland YouTube/screenshot
Jack Phillips
Updated:

A meteor apparently flew over Switzerland and Austria on Sunday night.

The event was captured on video.

 

 

So, what differentiates a meteor from a meteorite or even an asteroid?

“Little chunks of rock and debris in space are called meteoroids. They become meteors -- or shooting stars -- when they fall through a planet’s atmosphere; leaving a bright trail as they are heated to incandescence by the friction of the atmosphere. Pieces that survive the journey and hit the ground are called meteorites,” says NASA. “Meteoroids become meteors -- or shooting stars -- when they interact with a planet’s atmosphere and cause a streak of light in the sky. Debris that makes it to the surface of a planet from meteoroids are called meteorites.”

According to NASA, meteorites can greatly vary in size. They can be “tiny grains to large boulders. One of the largest meteorite found on Earth is the Hoba meteorite from southwest Africa, which weighs roughly 54,000 kg (119,000 pounds),” the space agency says.

Meanwhile, asteroids are objects that orbit the sun but are too small to be classified as planets. “Tens of thousands of these minor planets are gathered in the main asteroid belt, a vast doughnut-shaped ring between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids that pass close to Earth are called near-earth objects,” NASA says.

The meteor over Austria and Switzerland (YouTube/screenshot)
The meteor over Austria and Switzerland YouTube/screenshot

 

The meteor over Austria and Switzerland (YouTube/screenshot)
The meteor over Austria and Switzerland YouTube/screenshot

 

Another video of the meteor over Austria and Switzerland (YouTube/screenshot)
Another video of the meteor over Austria and Switzerland YouTube/screenshot
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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