American Meteor Society
Four large unique fireball events were reported to the AMS last night.
- Event #2305-2014 was seen at approximately 1:11 local time (EDT) in FL and GA.
- Event #2306-2014 – Over 420 witnesses from IL, IN, MI, OH and WI reported a bright fireball over Michigan around 21:55 local time.
- Event #2307-2014 – 30 witnesses from TN, AR, AL, IL, MS, MO and KY reported seeing a fireball over Tennessee at approximately 20:30 local time
- Event #2308-2014 – 42 witnesses in CT, PA, NY, NJ, MA and MD reported seeing a bright fireball in North Easter Pennsylvania near 20:47 local time.
Three of the events, 2306, 2307 & 2308 all occurred within 1.5 hours of each other. It is rare that multiple significant fireball events occur and are reported to the AMS in the same evening. After analysis of the time, proximity of witnesses and pointing data gathered, it was determined that each event was unique. It is likely that several of these fireball events were captured on camera by the NASA fireball network. Trajectories for all four events were plotted and are displayed below.
Four Fireballs across United States – September 24th, 2014 – AMS Events #2305, 2306, 2307 and 2308-2014 – Trajectories
Here is the heatmap of the 4 events:
Four Fireballs across United States – September 24th, 2014 – AMS Events #2305, 2306, 2307 and 2308-2014 – Heatmap
Bill Ongo has been lucky enough to take a picture of the fireball from Event #2306-2014
Event #2306-2014 – Photo: Bill Ongo
If you saw this fireball, please fill out an official fireball report with the AMS. To learn more about fireball meteors read our Fireball FAQ.
We encourage witnesses who saw this fireball to also download the AMS Mobile App for iPhone or Android and submit an enhanced fireball report using your mobile device. The data we can collect from the mobile App is more accurate and allows us to determine the velocity of the fireball. If you already submitted a web based report, please also complete the mobile report.
Seen a large Fireball last night . We live in lake county. In. The meteor was northeast of r41
. Saint John ,In . About 9:15-9:30 September 23-2014 ! Did anyone see it ?
I saw one last night I was getting ready to play my game at the ballpark my boyfriend and I both saw it, a big fire ball fall straight down from the sky 11/6/2014 at approx. 8:30 pm. I live in Tyler Texas.
I wanted to let someone know I saw a blazing falling star that fell straight down on the 21st or 22nd of September when I was out walking my dog in Tulsa. It was so big and brilliant that I was looking ahead toward the north when I saw something catch my eye in the sky just a tiny bit to the northeast. I looked and saw brilliant white long freefall nearly to the horizon, and it was so close looking and brilliant that I actually stood still thinking I was going to hear a boom or feel the earth shake. I have never seen anything like that.
I have seen meteors that explode in the sky at the end of their fall with bright flashes, and green streaks of tails for meteors, but this event actually made me want to call and tell someone and I did not know who to tell. It was an amazing sight and incredibly bright, especially since I was standing in the middle of a big city. I was one block south of I-244 and one block west of Harvard Avenue, looking north/northeast when it fell.
Janie Harris, my daughter and I saw something exactly like that last Friday night, Sept 19th, at about 10:30 pm, while were driving back to Edmond from OKC. A friend and her husband saw it, too. I have never seen anything like it before. It was bright and white and falling along the horizon like you described, and we expected a boom or something, too. Have no idea if it was one of these fireballs or not, but it was definitely an attention grabber!!
Janie we also saw the same thing in Florida on our drive back from Texas. It was around 4am on September the 22. My husband and I were astonished by the beauty and the bright green color. It lasted longer then a shooting star. It was a beautiful sight. I have never seen anything like that before . The one we saw had the bright flashes at the end of its fall. Almost like the fireworks that sparkle at a firework show .
I am in Valparaiso Indiana. I saw it last night between 9-9:30 in the northwest sky!
I’m not positive if I saw anything. I did see what I thought was a slow moving jet over Lake Erie with a bright white contrail . Time was around 7:45pm Tuesday Sept 23rd I am in Willowick Ohio Just east of Cleveland. We live right a long the shore line of Lake Erie
I saw this fireball @ 8:55p.m. last night in WI.
I remember waking last night, around 10 PM CST, in Racine Wisconsin, As I have diabetes, I have all the side effects that come with it that wake me often. At approximately 1:30-1:40 AM, As I sat here talking to a friend, I recall a bright light outside our living room windows. We live just West of Ohio St, and East of Green Bay Rd. its an apartment building, sort of U shaped, that backs right up to Giese School on Byrd Ave.
With our apartment, we live on the end of the first floor with two windows facing Eastward toward Lake Michigan, and one window facing toward the school, to the South.
At first I had thought there was a power line down that was arcing, as most live wires give off bright flashes resembling a bolt of lightning. However this seemed to be traveling in a longitudinal line, North to South. Had I been 3 miles East at the lakefront, at the end of 16th st where we live, I most likely would have been given a way better view. It looked as if its trajectory was North to South but as I said I live on the lower level and hard to see above the rooftop, except for the brightness in the sky.
I saw a fireball as well on the 23rd in Appleton Wisconsin around 9:00pm.. It was beautiful! I have seen shooting stars before but nothing close to as bright and large as this one. I’m glad I was fortunate enough to witness
Captured at my observatory in Nazareth, PA
http://skysentinel.nmsu.edu/allsky/viewer/1277272
Thanks for posting that. I seen it and I’m in NC. I seen many shooting stars and other things but that one was different.
I was driving north in Monee, IL last night, I didn’t check the exact time on the clock but it was somewhere around 8:30-9 pm, and in the northeast sky I saw one of these meteors – it was the largest, brightest, longest most beautiful meteor I’ve ever seen in my life! It took up a very large portion of the sky and broke into pieces at its termination. It was so amazing!
Saw what I thought was a longer than usual shooting star last night going from the east to the south sky. Can’t pin point the time but would say between 10& 11 pm.
Keswick, Ontario, Canada (50 km north of Toronto) at 10:05 pm Sep 23/14. I saw a huge orange fireball travelling north, clear as a bell. Had a very long orange and white tail. Seemed so low, thought it was a plane on fire at first. Glad I witnessed this, never seen anything like it before.
I’m in st clair Michigan and I seen a meteor looking in the western sky and it lasted around 5 seconds. I knew it wasn’t a shooting star, I could see a smokey tail. It was between 1230 and 130 am. I always look to the sky just to see what I can see. Always look up, you’ll be amazed by what you see.
I’m In St.Clair and seen the same exact thing as well!
I was outside early Tuesday morning around 530am in north central Arkansas saw a bright flash of light and really loud boom following wasn’t sure what it was but now I think I might have a clue
On either Monday or Tuesday morning before leaving for school, my 9-year-old spotted a white streak moving down the sky. He was certain it wasn’t a jet and felt strongly it was a meteor. We didn’t think he was correct in his assumptions (though he’s watched enough science documentaries to know!), and then he picked up a pencil and paper and began to sketch what he saw. I didn’t think he was correct until now when I read the headline that other sightings in the Northeast had been reported. It must have been around 8 a.m., Boston time. We’re in Massachusetts.
I saw at least 2 low-altitude (less than 2,500 feet above ground level) fireballs explode over the shoreline by the Marina in Two Rivers, Wisconsin and many more streaking high altitude meteors that left faint streaking tails. The 2 low-altitude fireballs were vivid yellow and left large streaks the color of a sunflower.
The 2 low-altitude meteors came in at an angle of 65-80 degrees. The paler, high-altitude streaking meteors were seen incoming at a much gentler angle.
Oh, and it was around 10:30pm for the first, and around 10:50pm for the second fireball, on September 23rd.
On 9/24/14 in SE Tennessee, roughly 15 minutes after dusk I saw a large slow moving, bright yellow meteor drop in a arch right in front of the constellation Cassiopeia as I was waiting for Andromeda to rise into view. NNE from my location.
Unusually bright for that early in the night
My daughter and I were driving home on Tuesday night and saw a white streaking ball.(It had a tail or streak following it) It was much to large to be a typical falling star. Falling stars compared to this is no comparison. This seemed to be so much brighter, so much bigger and so much closer. My daughter was like “what is that?” It happened somewhere close to 10pm would be my best guess, give or take a half hour. We live in Midwest Ohio.
on the night of September 24 around 11 pm- 12 am I saw a huge fireball. I went to the Abrams Falls trail in Tennessee just to take a night hike.
My mother inform us she observed “the largest meteor I have ever seen in my entire life”, last night around the same time. Oakland Co., Michigan.
23sept14 9:15pm st clair michigan meteor observed shooting approximately south to north. Initial observation placed the meteor 30 degrees above the southwestern horizon and disintegrated in the upper right hand corner of the ladle of the big dipper; approximately 45 degrees above the northern horizon. Illumination of meteor estimated to be 2-3 times bigger and brighter than the international space station at its brightest.
This is the most unreal, thing to happen ever in a very long time
Any Chance this is a military weapon? http://youtu.be/h_0WYF6dT6M
No chance…
Saw “shooting stars” aka fireballs flying northbound while walking home about 8:50pm EST in NY on September 23rd, ’14
I saw bright light on the 24th while out walking my dog. I didn’t really think anything about it. I just figured it was left over from the sun solar storm. I live in Alabama.
I saw a large one Wednesday morning. 04:35. At about 350° true, 45° elevation from Mobile, al.
I saw an amazing blazing fireball on 9/22/14 at about 6:40 AM while driving to work. It was somewhere off the East Coast of Southern Maine. It was very bright and left a very long trail.
I recently moved to Viera Florida close to the Space Center and Patric Air force Base so I always see strange flying objects, launches,etc.. I am not really sure what I saw Wed evening but it was eye catching and alarming at the same time. It had a white trail, fast moving, and it was coming straight down as far as I can tell. I was driving south at the intersection of Murrell Road and Spyglass. It was ahead of me and to my left a bit. Looked as if it was above the water in Satellite beach area. The trail was not like the usual shuttle trail or typical jet stream it was very bright, tightly compacted, and had no areas of turns or breaks. I really couldn’t tell if it was moving up or down just the it was moving fast. It was out of the ordinary to say the least. I even commented to my son,” I wounder what in the world that is”. ” It can’t be a jet going straight up and it doesn’t appear to be a launch”. We decided they must be testing new aircraft of some sort.
Hi all, this is very cool! We were headed north on Calumet Ave. in Munster Indiana, at about 9:15, 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday September 23, when our 10 year old daughter said, “mom i just saw this huge light, I mean it was huge! Right over the hospital!” (community hospital, on the east side of Calumet Ave.) We pulled into a park that’s on the north side of the hospital, but alas, no more of what only she had seen. We did see a lot of ducks in the creek though. She came home and drew a picture of it. ( sure looked like a fireball) She described it as being, “huge, dark orangey-red in the center”, with a progression to “orange, yellowy-orange” from inside to outer edges, with a yellow turning to cream color tail. We were excited to learn on Yahoo this morning that others had seen it too. I wonder if the one Pamela saw in Valparaiso was the same one my daughter saw.
For next time, To what agency do we report the sighting?
I was out back last night at about 8:30 and saw a large fire ball cross the sky west of me and moving from north to south and about 30 degress above the hoizon. I am located approx. 40 miles north of Tuscaloosa, Ala.
I know this is at odds to the rest of those reported but I know my location and directions very well.
Last night I’d been rolling through NEW JERSEY about 10:00 pm and I saw da craziest thing I look pon sky and I saw that crazy fireball I’d been hitting da smoke and busting my remmi..but still cool doe…My breadwin…responded wid it’s bloodfire aliens…I said no jam fool boy..it’s a shooting star…make a wish..right then blam crashed car…and it was all over quick as that..den find out it was just a fireball so I’m a little put out my wish won’t be granted..
No mention of the one I had seen and reported to WSBT news Center at 9 am in South Bend Indiana on the 21st before all the others. It was East of South Bend and I was able to see it in broad daylight.
I live in Columbus, Ga. I was walking around in my apartment complex around 8:30 pm. I looked up in the sky and noticed a very huge white fire ball like object with a bluish, white tail, trailing through the sky very slowly for at least five to ten seconds. It then took off like the speed of light, leaving a curly tail of whispering smoke behind. I was expecting to hear a loud boom, under the assumption it was going to crash into the earth. I called a local news station asking if there been any reports of this sighting but it was not confirmed, until now. Not only that, but on September 16th, 2014, the city of Columbus, along with other counties a far and neighboring states, heard a loud sonic boom around 4:30 that afternoon. The sound was so magnifying that it literally shook buildings throughout the entire Columbus, GA region, shattered some windows and set off car alarms. I thought we were under attack. Much latter that evening, about 8pm, my family and I witnessed at least three round flying objects surrounded with green and red lights flying in formation. One remained while the others disappear. The object was darting in the sky and appear coasting for a few seconds.
It then made a sudden U turn in the sky, once again, at the speed of light then disappeared. The sonic boom was confirmed to supposing be a fighter jet taking off so fast that it broke the sound barrier. But I haven’t known a jet to take off faster than the speed of light. Only a jet moving that fast could break the sound barrier. At first I thought I was losing it, but it has been confirmed that am not due to other witnesses across the way to back help back up my and their claim.
Any info about sept 19th?? I saw a very rare fireball at 9pm PT in Tijuana, Mex border with San Diego, CA, i say rare because it pass like an airplane speed and then make a stop and some other little piece came from there, all the event delays about 1min until the 2 fireballs finally disolve.
On September 26, 2014. Mt. Albert Ontario just north of Toronto at roughly 10:10pm. I had finished putting my baby in her crib and I went to bed, not more than five minutes later I seen and heard something like a very loud firecracker and boom. The light it gave off was very bright whitish, yellowish blinding. It came from North to south sounded like it landed close by. I thought it might have been a firecracker but it seemed much bigger. It came down diagonally from North to South I thought it hit something in the backyard, that how close it seemed. This weekend wasn’t a firework type weekend and I didn’t hear any other people or fireworks to assume it was firecrackers. It had very worried me a lot never experienced anything like that didn’t know what to make of it, at a certain point assumed it could have been an explosive. I even posted a comment on Facebook for our town buy and sell site to see if others had heard the noise and light. Others in town heard the sound. Many complained that their dogs were barking and going crazy, cable and Internet were down for many of the residents . We also had people mention the smell of bonfire, it was being smelt in town and in a few other towns such as Keswick, Sutton. Very odd and strange not sure if it’s all related and not sure what to make of it.
I just saw the biggest meteor I have ever seen about 20 minutes ago… I’ve seen shooting stars… this was gigantic, and orange, a pure ball of fire with a tail… over Lindenhurst, IL, heading northeast east… it was awesome!
Fire ball spotted over Lake county IL area night 9/28/14 at 9:15pm ct,
It was amazing watching it light up the night sky. Would like to watch n study the stars more closely like my anscestors did hundreds of years ago before the “conquista” but honestly this rotten system of work, bills,repeat; has me saying,”Aint nobody got time for that”
I was returning home from a walk with my dog in Fairview Park ,Ohio ,around 9:45 P.M. on Sunday,around 9:45P.M. when I looked between my house and the neighbor to the left of me. I noticed this very bright red thjing in the sky that looked like a flame was coming out of it . I saw it moving and thought a helicopter or something was on fire and falling from the sky . I
never saw anything like this before so it scared me a little . I ran in to my house and called my daughter .I told her to run outside to look at it but while on the phone with her I ran out again and it was gone .I guess I can say I saw a fireball.
I’m not sure what night it was, last week, late September, but I was outside in the evening in Colchester, CT and saw a huge, white with yellow ball dropping down with a large tail on it. I thought it would crash land it came down so low. I was watching for shooting stars, but never expected that!
9:09PM on 9/28/14 watch a huge white-yellow ball move from southwest to northeast flat across sky. Look like it was heading to WI or IL. Some what of a trail. One of the biggest I’ve seen in along time and very close to earth.
I believe my daughter and I witness at fireball on the 24th of Sept in Valley Station, Ky. It looked like a huge falling star with a bright greenish, yellow tint. I have seen many falling stars but none this big.
10/23/2014 at 2:45 a.m. While sitting on the porch facing northeast, something caught my peripherial vision. At 3:am, of course I looked. It appeared to be about 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide. It was moving in an arch heading northeast. It was brilliant yellow, round at the front and trails following. Kind of like a tennis ball on fire. But the fire was solid until the very end. I guess it was a leftover from the meteor shower on 10/21/14.
I live in Delaware and I saw at a little after 1 am a fireball in the sky, I have seen meteors before, but this one was huge. Long tail and large ball, though someone was aiming at WDC, glad it was a meteor
i saw it i was out side i thought it looked awful huge …kinda scared me lol
My name is Bryan …. I lived in california LOS ANGELES all my life I never seen nothing like this before I was drive my buddy said look at that shooting astar so I look I wasn’t a shooting star I look like a ball of fire coming with alot of speed towards earth and it keeped on getting bigger so I keeped on looking and it just despaired I was very scared this happen at 7:30 pm 12/12/14
Any confirmation of an event over SE Wisconsin? On Dec 13 10:30 PM CST many people around the 53228 zip code reported what sounded like a large explosion. Some reported seeing the sky light up. No report from local news or police yet.
We were at mile maker 32 on the thru way and saw a large fire ball falling from the sky. The object was falling at a very fast Rate. We were headed from New York headed to Ohio through the Pocono mountains. 81 west
I was awake at just before 400 am , Jan 14/ 2015. I looked out my west facing window checking out the stars when a bright round object about 30 degrees above the horizon came in from the north crossed my window view and went below the horizon at the left of my window. It all took about 3 seconds. It had no tail and was a nicely round ball of white light. Much faster then any plane but slower then most meteors I’ve seen. i don’t believe in UFO’s or aliens so I’m not some nut. I live out in the woods, no lights or traffic and no lights were on in the house. I know the time because I then got up and went into the kitchen and the clock said 4:00
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Guess i should have added that I live in Isabella county MI
Just seen this I live in Kingsburg ca seen this bright orange light literally falling from the sky it looked like fire ! I expected some kind of sound but nothing ! But all the dogs in the neighborhood sure was going crazy !
Driving back from picking my daughter up from walnut iowa to Omaha ne saw 10 falling redish smoke objects in the sky falling for 10 min or longer 530 to 630 closer sunset lost site of them 10 miles from counsel bluffs iw large helicopter spotlight looking for something feb13 2015
Me and my kids was sitting out side tonight around 10
all of a sudden we seen a big ball of fire in the sky. Did anyone see this ????
We have never seen this before.
Tonight 8-7-2016 I saw a bright burning ball moving at an incredible speed across the night sky around 11:20pm. Wow. That was amazing, it was only in my view for about 15 seconds.
Michigan, Macomb county.