> A space rock generally stops burning by the time it reaches about 30km altitude.

When I was around 12 years old and friend and I were camping and staring up at the stars and a meteorite took a path very close above us. I remember hearing it (almost a crackling sound) and I swear even feeling a slight heat on my face momentarily.

And then we lost sight as it went below nearby tree line.

I’ve always been curious about how close it came to us. I guess it’s possible that my memory of noise and heat isn’t accurate and something I’ve imagined in the years since, but it was a very beautiful moment.