The powerful meteor that lit up the skies above southern Australia this week was bright enough to be classified as a “fireball,” NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Objects Studies has confirmed.

A “fireball” is NASA’s term for an exceptionally bright meteor that is visible over a wide area.

This fireball hurtled through Earth’s atmosphere and landed in the waters of the Great Australian Bight late Tuesday night.

It was visible to onlookers in parts of the Australian states of Victoria and South Australia, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Many shared images of the fiery event online, which they captured through security cameras and car dashboard cameras.

Joshua Kennedy, a resident of Adelaide’s suburbs, told 7 NEWS Australia that he spotted the fireball while driving home from work.

“Amazing flash of light, this big orange fireball coming down...” Kennedy said. “Just absolutely spectacular.”

A camera pointed toward the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s helipad captured spectacular footage of the fireball’s trail as it zoomed toward the Earth and exploded, sending out a bright flash of light.