Approximately 200 eyewitnesses in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina reported seeing a bright fireball at around 6:36 AM Eastern Standard Time (2019 January 9 11:36 UTC). Analysis of these reports place the first sighting of the meteor at an altitude of 51 miles just off the Maryland coast near Ocean City. Moving southwest at 29,000 miles per hour, the object ablated 33 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, 31 miles to the east of Exmore, Virginia. Casual imagery from eyewitnesses in New Jersey agree with the trajectory solution within the uncertainties.
Event ID | 20190109-113550 |
Date (UTC) | Jan. 9, 2019 |
Time (UTC) | 11:35:50 |
AMS Event | 31-2019 |
Chicken Little Start Lat/Lon | +38.281, -74.978 |
Chicken Little End Lat/Lon | +37.437, -75.281 |
Chicken Little Altitude | 81.6 km → 53.4 km ( 50.7 miles→ 33.2 miles) |
Chicken Little Speed | 12.8 km/s (28,600 mph) |