Meteor streaks across the (Midwest)region's sky (Video too!)

Minneapolis StarTribune (aka The Red Star) ^ | 4/15/10 | Bob Von Sternberg - Staff Reporter

[MplsSteve]

A meteor (as far as anyone knows) provided a brilliant and entertaining light show across the Upper Midwest Wednesday night.

Just after 10 p.m., 911 call centers began to light up across at least six states, including Minnesota, as a bright light flashed across the sky from west to east.

The National Weather Service confirmed countless anecdotal accounts of the meteor late Wednesday, reporting that "a fireball or very bright meteor was observed streaking across the sky. The fireball was seen over the northern sky, moving from west to east. Well before it reached the horizon, it broke up into smaller pieces and was lost from sight."

In Davenport, Iowa, Weather service meteorologist Mike Zenner said staff members "could see it from the office and saw the explosion as it came down. You could see the smoke trail over by Dubuque.

"The sonic boom was really loud, lasted at least 30 seconds. It looked like it was coming out of southern Minnesota, heading to the east or southeast."

[reagan_fanatic]

I think most people are smart enough to discern the difference between a plane going down and a ball of fire streaking across the atmosphere at 45 miles per second.

But then again, over 50% of them voted for Obama, so there goes that theory ....

[TigersEye]

That sure appeared to be slow moving for a meteor.

[txhurl]

Not if they’re texting, drinking, smoking and driving on the way home.

Nor are people inside their houses going to be able to discern.