When is a 'double fireball' not a 'double fireball'? Wild meteor videos explained by a trick of the light

Onlookers were dazzled on the night of Oct. 16 when a bright green fireball blazed earthward in the skies over several Eastern Seaboard U.S. states, leaving a short-lived glowing trail in its wake as it streaked earthward before flaring and disappearing as it neared the horizon.

As if that wasn't spectacular enough, a video of the event captured from North Branford, Connecticut appeared to show a second bright meteor moving in perfect formation with the fireball, before disappearing at the exact same moment as it approached Earth's surface.

The seemingly incredible event appeared to repeat a day later on Oct. 17, when yet another fireball was observed blazing through the skies over North Branford — albeit from a different location — accompanied by a second meteor moving in absolute harmony. Were these rare 'double' meteors, or just a trick of the light?

According to fireball expert Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society, these double fireball events may have been nothing more than an optical illusion of sorts created by anti-fogging measures fitted to the outside of the skywatching camera systems.

"These fireballs were captured by the same type of camera systems which are prone to produce "double fireballs" on the brightest events," Lunsford told Space.com in an email. "These cameras are housed under a clear acrylic dome that are probably the cause of these double events. You will notice that the secondary fireballs are in the exact same place in relation to the main event in both videos."

So, if you see spectacular videos of double fireballs circulating online, know that it may just be a trick of the light.

Be sure to check out our handy guide to photographing fast-moving meteors, along with our roundups of the best lenses and cameras for astrophotography if you're interested in capturing your own shot of a dramatic fireball event!

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.