A 'Natural Meteor Fireball' Just Exploded in the Sky Over Michigan
Social media was alight Tuesday with videos that appeared to show a fireball blazing through the night sky above highways of southeast Michigan, and flashes of blue and orange light over settled snow.
As witness accounts — as well as surveillance and car dash camera footage — made the rounds, The National Weather Service Detroit (NWSD) wrote on Twitter that the flashes and bangs were “likely” a meteor, not thunder and lightning.
NWSD later confirmed that a meteor had occurred, citing the U.S. Geological Survey. It blew up over Detroit with enough force to register as a 2.0 earthquake, National Public Radio reports.
USGS confirms meteor occurred around 810pm, causing a magnitude 2.0 earthquake: https://t.co/ikp8BG4ITp #miwx
— NWS Detroit (@NWSDetroit) January 17, 2018
The Ingham County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in a Facebook post that the sighting was “a natural meteor fireball,” urging people not to call 911.
Read more: A Mysterious Object Flying Past the Sun Is Our First Confirmed Visitor From Another Solar System
Here’s how people reacted when night turned to day over Detroit.
Meteor just crashed into the metro Detroit area, hopefully it didn't create anymore pot holes..
— Michigan Problems (@michiganprobz) January 17, 2018
Everybody in SE Michigan right now after that explosion, or thunder... or METEOR!?!?! pic.twitter.com/ecbqUj3v7z
— Kyle Harrison (@krharrison) January 17, 2018
Did you see it? Dash cam by @z_lawler captures fireball meteor light up Michigan sky. pic.twitter.com/JvNXSQFtw1
— Kate Tillotson (@KateWWMT) January 17, 2018
Incredible video of meteor in Detroit tonight. pic.twitter.com/YoY72bWFpV
— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) January 17, 2018