Fireball streaks across southern Jersey Shore sky

If you saw a vivid object race across the Jersey Shore sky Tuesday evening, you’re not alone.

More than 350 spotters reported seeing a fireball across portions of the Mid-Atlantic, possibly originating above Vineland, New Jersey, streaking over Cape May, and disappearing over the ocean east of Delaware, according to a reporting log on the American Meteor Society website.

Commenters on the Cool Cape May Facebook page reported seeing the vivid fireball and feeling shaking.

“Saw it. It lit up the sky and was incredible to see. Right place right time I guess,” Jerry Inderwies Jr. wrote.

It was also spotted in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

The fireball, another term for a very bright meteor, was described as a mixture of light blue, green, orange, yellow, and white with a glowing trail, according to the AMS reports.

“It sparkled brilliantly and seemed to fall apart,” one spotted wrote.

The organization says “several thousand” fireballs occur each day, but they are rarely seen.

“The vast majority of these, however, occur over the oceans and uninhabited regions, and a good many are masked by daylight. Those that occur at night also stand little chance of being detected due to the relatively low numbers of persons out to notice them,” a fireball FAQ from AMS notes.

Read more about fireballs here.