Fireball spotted across DC sky
Fireball spotted across DC sky

Some people around D.C., Maryland and Virginia witnessed a fireball light up the sky Tuesday night just before 10 p.m.

This fireball, which appears to be a shooting, burst of light, is actually a meteor. The meteor is a piece of debris and appears bright because it is burning up as it passes through our atmosphere.

This fireball or meteor was reported to the American Meteor Society 28 times. If a fireball or meteor were to reach Earth's surface, it would be called a meteorite.

Small meteors pass through our atmosphere almost every day, but most go undetected.