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. (bō'līd) [key] is a fireball that explodes in the air because of thermal stresses created when it passes through the earth's atmosphere.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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