NOT THE ASTEROID
A fireball lit up the sky above Wisconsin on Thursday morning. More than 100 sightings were reported across the Midwest
Jake Prinsen, Appleton Post-Crescent
Thu, January 20, 2022,
GREEN BAY – If you saw a huge fireball light up the sky early Thursday morning, you’re not alone.
More than 100 people across the Midwest reported seeing a “fireball event” around 6:45 a.m., according to the International Meteor Organization. The sightings came from as far away as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska.
Most Wisconsin residents who reported the flaming object were concentrated in the southeast and northeast regions of the state.
Witnesses reported the fireball lit up the sky ranging from one second to longer than seven seconds.
WATCH: Video of the meteoroid from UW-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison astronomy professor James Lattis said the southwest direction of the object means it was likely a meteoroid and not a piece of space junk, which generally travels east.
He said it's common to see meteors in the early morning hours in the Midwest because the region is facing forward in the earth's obit around the sun.
"It’s like looking out the windshield of your car," he said. "You get more bugs on your windshield because that’s the direction you’re moving."
This meteor received more attention because it traveled over densely populated areas like Chicago, Milwaukee and the Fox Cities. Because so many people saw the meteor, Lattis said scientists would likely be able to calculate its speed, altitude, direction and ultimately where it came from in the solar system.
"They’re almost always more related to the asteroid belt, these extremely bright ones," he said. "It clearly was bright enough to collect a lot of attention."
Lattis said half of meteors streak across the sky during the day and three quarters fly over the ocean, so anyone who saw Thursday's fireball should consider themselves lucky. And if you missed the light show, just keep looking at the stars.
"It’s just a matter of time. If you watch the sky long enough, you will see plenty of meteors and even some bright ones," Lattis said. "It’s a reminder that we should all keep an eye on the great things happening in the sky."
Thu, January 20, 2022,
GREEN BAY – If you saw a huge fireball light up the sky early Thursday morning, you’re not alone.
More than 100 people across the Midwest reported seeing a “fireball event” around 6:45 a.m., according to the International Meteor Organization. The sightings came from as far away as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska.
Most Wisconsin residents who reported the flaming object were concentrated in the southeast and northeast regions of the state.
Witnesses reported the fireball lit up the sky ranging from one second to longer than seven seconds.
WATCH: Video of the meteoroid from UW-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison astronomy professor James Lattis said the southwest direction of the object means it was likely a meteoroid and not a piece of space junk, which generally travels east.
He said it's common to see meteors in the early morning hours in the Midwest because the region is facing forward in the earth's obit around the sun.
"It’s like looking out the windshield of your car," he said. "You get more bugs on your windshield because that’s the direction you’re moving."
This meteor received more attention because it traveled over densely populated areas like Chicago, Milwaukee and the Fox Cities. Because so many people saw the meteor, Lattis said scientists would likely be able to calculate its speed, altitude, direction and ultimately where it came from in the solar system.
"They’re almost always more related to the asteroid belt, these extremely bright ones," he said. "It clearly was bright enough to collect a lot of attention."
Lattis said half of meteors streak across the sky during the day and three quarters fly over the ocean, so anyone who saw Thursday's fireball should consider themselves lucky. And if you missed the light show, just keep looking at the stars.
"It’s just a matter of time. If you watch the sky long enough, you will see plenty of meteors and even some bright ones," Lattis said. "It’s a reminder that we should all keep an eye on the great things happening in the sky."
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