Fireball in the sky Meteorite races over the Statue of Liberty in New York

New York residents flood the internet with reports of a fireball in the sky. Some describe the feeling of an earthquake as a meteorite hurtled over the metropolis.

New York has already been the backdrop for a number of doomsday movies: But now a real fireball in the sky in broad daylight caused a sensation in the metropolis. According to the US space agency Nasa, it was a meteor, the US space agency Nasa announced on Facebook on Tuesday (local time) - a trail of light that is created when rock debris from space enters the Earth's atmosphere.

At more than 54,700 kilometers per hour, the meteorite raced down "at a steep angle of only 18 degrees from vertical and flew over the Statue of Liberty" on Tuesday, as Nasa announced in the online networks. The meteorite then disintegrated around 47 kilometers above Midtown Manhattan.

Shaking like an earthquake

The analysis of eyewitness reports suggests that the streak of light became visible over the metropolis of millions in the morning. The phenomenon was accompanied by thunder-like noises and tremors similar to an earthquake, local media reported, citing eyewitness reports. However, according to Nasa, this could also be due to military activities in the area.

A meteor is the flash that occurs when rock debris hurtles into the Earth's atmosphere and burns up there due to friction with air molecules. A cosmic chunk that does not burn up completely and hits the earth's surface is called a meteorite.

Boulders like the one that caused the streak of light over New York only have a diameter of around 30 centimetres, Nasa also reported. Such cosmic particles usually burn up before they hit the ground and therefore pose no danger to Earth's inhabitants.

dpa