“Meteor lights the sky across parts of the Midwest ... - Examiner”

Meteor lights the sky across parts of the Midwest ... - Examiner

Posted: 09 Jun 2010 03:20 PM PDT

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All London airports are to close due to volcanic ash. A huge fireball was observed in six Midwestern states shortly after 10pm Wednesday evening. The death toll is climbing after tornado hammers eastern Indian villages. Hundreds evacuate from a volcano in Iceland early on Wednesday. A 6.9 magnitude earthquake shakes the western province of China killing hundreds and injuring thousands. A 75-ft tsunami has struck a town in west Peru after a glacier broke off and plunged into a lake on Monday. Dense fog is a possible factor that led to a plane crash that killed the Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others. Severe Weather Reports: 1 tornado was produced yesterday in Bethune, CO. There are no reports of damages or injuries. There were several reports of hail and wind across the Dakotas and Nebraska. Two dustnadoes were spotted in Ogallala, NE.

Did anybody see or feel anything? Just after 10 PM CDT, a fireball was observed streaking across the sky over several Midwestern states.

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri witnessed this event. It lasted to about 10:15 PM CDT.

There were several witness reports of this bright fireball and prolonged sonic booms were received by emergency departments and TV stations. Many reportedly described it as a big red fireball with a blue or neon green tail that was visible for approximately 15 seconds.

The National Weather Service confirmed that it was a meteor that people saw moving across the dark sky.

Currently, there is a meteor shower occurring called the Gamma Virginids which peaks April 14th and 15th. This could be linked to the fireball incident last night.

(Live camera animation of the meteor/fireball)

radar2

(Video from Howard County Sheriff Deputy)

**Update**

(A highly-enhanced nighttime visible image from the GOES-11 (GOES-West) satellite and a radar reflectivity image from the Davenport, Iowa WSR-88D seems to corroborate the reports from the public of the meteor flash appearing to move "from northwest to southeast". This also indicates that if the meteor or meteorite landed, it would have in southwest WI or north central IL.)