Bright Flash Streaks Across Sky Over Western New York Sunday Night

Sometimes you see something so unusual that you need to ask someone else if they saw it too.

That appears to be the case in parts of Western New York after several people reported seeing a bright green or white flash streak across the sky in areas of Erie County late Sunday night.

Reports Of Bright Flash In Erie County

The weather is finally starting to turn for the better across New York. While winter isn’t officially over yet, much of the state is expected to enjoy sunny skies and milder temperatures throughout the week.

This report was from Eden, NY area: "Did anyone else just see that green meteor? (If you’d been driving south on 62 it would have been falling from left to right around 9:40pm.)"

Clear skies also make for great opportunities to watch the night sky. Just last week, skywatchers were treated to a stunning Total Lunar Eclipse, often called a “blood moon.”

But sometimes unexpected things appear overhead.

Late Sunday night, several people reported seeing a bright streaking object moving quickly across the sky over Western New York.

First Sightings Reported Near East Aurora

The first reports appeared to come from around East Aurora, New York, where one observer described seeing a brief green flash moving across the sky.

"Did I just see a green shooting star? A meteorite? A helicopter falling out of the sky?! Anyone else see this near Wales"?

Others soon chimed in on social media, saying they had also witnessed the object. People in higher elevation areas, including Strykersville, New York, reported getting a particularly good view of the bright streak.

Related: New York State Has A Warning to Residents in Farming Communities

Based on descriptions from witnesses, it appears the object may have been a meteor burning up as it passed through the atmosphere around 9:40 p.m. Sunday night.

Keep Watching The Night Sky This Spring

As Western New York heads into another busy week, the official start of spring is just around the corner. The Spring Equinox arrives on March 20, bringing longer days and more chances to enjoy clear evening skies.

"A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky called Radiant. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories".

When the skies are clear, it’s always worth looking up. You never know when you might catch a glimpse of a meteor or another celestial event zipping across the sky.

And if you enjoy stargazing, this might be a good time to consider getting a telescope, especially if you live in a higher elevation area where the night sky can be even easier to see.