Any space rock big enough becomes a bolide, but Michigan isn’t under threat from space.
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Last night, Michigan got “treated” to a flash, a loud clap of sound, and a 2.0 earthquake, all thanks to a meteor. But people have used the term “bolide” and “meteor” interchangeably, and it’s created a lot of confusion, not to mention the fear that a new type of meteor is going to come streaking out of the sky, Hollywood-style, and flatten everything.
But don’t worry, bolides are relatively common across the planet, and it was just luck of the draw this happened over Michigan. Any space rock big enough to make a visible fireball is technically a bolide, so all that happened over the Wolverine State was a normal, if startling, natural phenomenon — essentially nature’s version of hucking a firecracker into a mailbox.
That said, though, Michigan got off light: Bolides can be nasty customers. Let’s dig into what really happened in the skies over Michigan, and why.
In other words, while there’s a small chance of a meteor exploding over your city and rendering it a wasteland, you’ve got way better odds of being in a car crash. So don’t worry about death from the skies. There’s plenty more to worry about right here on Earth.
