fireball

fireball very bright meteor leaving a trail in the sky that can remain visible for several minutes; often a distinct sound, perhaps caused by very low frequency radio waves, is associated with it. A bolide is a fireball that explodes in the air because of thermal stresses created when it passes through the earth's atmosphere.

fireball (bollide) Exceptionally bright meteor. Fireballs have been loosely defined as meteors brighter than the planets; with the modern estimate of the maximum brightness of Venus, this would mean that all meteors brighter than magnitude −4.7 should be classified as fireballs.

fireball A meteor whose apparent magnitude exceeds that of the planet Venus (magnitude −5 or brighter). Fireballs are comparatively rare, perhaps fewer than one per thousand meteors. During major annual meteor showers such as the Perseids or Geminids considerable numbers of fireballs may be seen. Fireballs are also associated with the atmospheric entry of large incoming bodies, which may result in meteorite falls. A fragmenting fireball with audible sound is termed a bolide.