MILWAUKEE, WI – Residents in the Midwest were treated to a spectacular visual spectacle – no fireworks were used!
The skies of Northern Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin were host to a light show put on by a meteor. Reports say that people witnessed a fire ball falling through the sky.
Emergency response units were flooded with calls after the spectacle. Concerned residents reported seeing the yellowish/blue fire ball which floated from northwest to southeast. The National Weather service, however, has not confirmed the reports and has stated that no unusual activity in the sky has been observed or recorded which could be related to meteor activity.
A meteor shower that began on April 4, called the Gamma Virginids, is at its peak and will last until April 21. It’s quite possible that the Gamma Virginids could be responsible for the spectacle but it has not been confirmed.
“A large meteorite could have caused the brilliant fireball that has been reported,” the National Weather Service’s Milwaukee office said in a statement.
Space junk entering the atmosphere could also be responsible for the spectacle. The University of Wisconsin has made a time-lapse animation that depicts the event.