A large fireball was spotted in the skies over the U.S. and Canada on Monday evening, with 436 sightings reported by the American Meteor Society. The fireball was seen from northern Michigan to North Carolina and Kentucky to western New York and followed a trajectory from west to east over Lake Erie. Photos and videos captured the bright streak of light as it zoomed across the sky for several seconds. This event coincided with the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, which is active from late September to late November. The meteors in this shower are known for their beauty and can travel up to 148,000 mph, leaving glowing debris trails in their wake. NASA describes them as producing fireballs, which are prolonged explosions of light when moving fast enough. Overall, Monday evening was a busy night for stargazers with both the fireball sighting and the peak of the Orionid meteor shower. Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY, and can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com.
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