An extremely bright meteor, often brighter than Venus, that may explode or fragment during its atmospheric passage. Bolides are typically caused by larger meteoroids and may produce meteorites.
From Greek 'bolis' meaning 'missile' or 'javelin', referring to the projectile-like appearance of these bright meteors. The term was adopted in the 19th century to distinguish exceptionally bright meteors from ordinary ones.
Bolides can be so bright they cast shadows and are visible in broad daylight! The Chelyabinsk bolide in 2013 was brighter than the Sun and its shock wave shattered windows across a wide area, demonstrating the tremendous energy these events release.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.