Bolide
A bolide is a bright, exploding meteor—essentially a natural fireball from space that burns up in Earth's atmosphere.
A bolide is a bright meteor that explodes in the atmosphere, often producing a fireball and audible sound. It originates from a meteoroid entering Earth's atmosphere at high speed, releasing immense energy. The term applies broadly to any such atmospheric explosion, regardless of size or composition.
What this means in real life
When a space rock the size of a car enters the atmosphere at high speed, it heats up so intensely that it glows brighter than the full moon and may be visible in daylight—this dramatic event is a bolide, and observers might hear a loud boom minutes later as the shock wave reaches the ground.
What it isn’t
A bolide is not simply any bright meteor or shooting star; it specifically refers to exceptionally luminous events that often produce explosions or sonic booms. A typical faint meteor streaking across the night sky would not qualify as a bolide.
Commonly misused online
Social media often conflates 'bolide' with any meteor sighting or UFO-like light in the sky, when the term actually requires exceptional brightness and usually an audible explosion or significant atmospheric disturbance.