Shooting star? Midwesterners report seeing fireball in the sky Tuesday night
Shooting star? Midwesterners report seeing fireball in the sky Tuesday night
Did you see it? More than 128 people across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin reported spotting a fireball in the sky Tuesday night. The American Meteor Society helped explain what it was. (Credit: © Britt Pulpulaan via the American Meteor Society)
CHICAGO - Social media users were buzzing Tuesday night after some said they spotted what appeared to be a shooting star in the sky. According to the American Meteor Society, what people saw was in fact a shooting star, more scientifically considered a fireball, or bright meteor.
What we know:
More than 128 people across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin reported seeing the fireball around 10:31 p.m. CT Tuesday. Several witnesses shared videos, often captured by doorbell or security cameras, with the nonprofit scientific organization.
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A fireball meteor lit up the night sky across several Midwest states, with sightings reported in Chicago, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
The American Meteor Society says it ruled out space debris based on the object’s appearance and the speed at which it moved.
The nonprofit says fireballs are fairly common but can be difficult to spot. The surge in reports was likely due to favorable viewing conditions combined with social media chatter encouraging people to check their cameras.
The Source: The information for this story was collected from witness reports submitted to the American Meteor Society and from information provided by the nonprofit’s staff.