Numerous eyewitnesses in the mid-Atlantic states have filed reports with the American Meteor Society of a bright fireball seen December 23, 2021 around 7:11 AM Eastern Standard Time (2021 December 23 12:11 UTC). An analysis of their accounts combined with constraints from an Earthcam located at Coney Island shows that the meteor first became visible 55 miles above the northeastern part of Washington, D.C., moving to the southeast at 60,000 miles per hour. It ablated 37 miles above the Delaware town of Seaford, having traversed 68 miles though the upper atmosphere in just over 4 seconds.
Event ID | 20211223-121100 |
Date (UTC) | Dec. 23, 2021 |
Time (UTC) | 12:11:00 |
AMS Event | 9421-2021 |
Chicken Little Start Lat/Lon | +38.992, -76.710 |
Chicken Little End Lat/Lon | +38.696, -75.553 |
Chicken Little Altitude | 88.4 km → 59.2 km ( 54.9 miles→ 36.8 miles) |
Chicken Little Speed | 26.7 km/s (59,700 mph) |