Hundreds watch green fireball streak across the Midsouth

Hundreds of people in more than a dozen states reported that they saw a bright green fireball on Sunday night that apparently streaked from near Memphis toward St. Louis.

Depending on their location, some observers said the fireball was visible for up to 20 seconds, emitting sparks along the path. Viewers who were directly under it said it broke apart before it disappeared.

The presumed meteor appeared about 10:25 Sunday night. It was reported on social media across Illinois and Missouri, as well as locations including Sturgis, KY; Indianapolis; Mount Union, Iowa; Nashville and more. 

As of Monday morning, about 400 reports came in to the American Meteor Society website from at least 15 states, including from Texas and Mississippi to Iowa, Georgia and South Carolina.

(Our colleagues at WFCN Swinford Media captured the full length of the meteor's run across southern Illinois on one of their tower cams .)

Experts believe Sunday's event was a meteor rather than a satellite or other man-made object.

Scientists say the glowing green color is produced when metals such as nickel or magnesium vaporize as the rock hurtles through Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of at least 25,000 miles per hour. 


(Photo by Samuel G. via American Meteor Society; maps American Meteor Society)