On Saturday, Bill Cooke from NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office explained that the bright, fast-flying object was, in fact, a meteor.

CNN: Meteor lights up East Coast -- and social media

Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said scientists believe the object originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

CNN: Planet of sound: Meteor blast resonated around Earth

"It exploded in a flash nearly 10 times as bright as anything we've ever seen before, " said Bill Cooke, of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.

CNN: Bright explosion on moon visible from Earth, NASA says

Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said by e-mail that the shooting stars would be visible after about 11 p.m. in each time zone in the United States, with the best viewing time from 3 a.m. until dawn.

CNN: Meteor shower will light up night sky for just a few hours