Midwest Meteor Lights Up Night Sky Over Illinois, Wisconsin

A Midwest meteor streaked brightly through the night sky over Illinois and Wisconsin early Monday morning, leading to 357 sightings being reported to the American Meteorological Society, though it is unclear whether the meteor landed in Lake Michigan or burned up before reaching the ground.

The meteor was seen by residents of many other states including Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, and Minnesota, as well as Ontario, Canada, according to the American Meteorological Society.

It was visible around 1:25 a.m. Monday as a bright green flash streaking through the night sky.

In Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, police officer Jim Dexter caught the meteor on his dash cam and shared it with the National Weather Service, where it was widely viewed, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Some weather service offices reported sonic booms that shook houses in the Green Bay area, the Tribune reported.

The meteor was last recorded on radar passing over Lake Michigan, but no impact was recorded.

The Tribune reported the meteor could have been a bolide, an intensely bright fireball that explodes in the sky before it has a chance to make impact with the ground. AMS said several thousand meteors designated as fireballs occur each day, but most of them appear over unpopulated areas, so they are rarely seen. They are also harder to view in daytime when the sun’s brightness can block them out.

Weather Service meteorologists in Wisconsin and Illinois said meteor showers are common in the area, although they are rarely viewed as widely as this one was.

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