Fireball, caught on tape, illuminates night skies over the Carolinas

A fireball cutting across the sky on Wednesday night was widely reported by people in Durham and as far away as Kentucky, Florida and Alabama.

The fireball, probably a bright meteor burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, was seen falling through the sky about 8:43 p.m. It was caught on video by several people, including a Cornelius man, Earl Ayers, who caught the bright light on his security camera.

Ayers, who was contacted by media outlets about the meteor, said it had the lowest and flattest angle he has ever seen.

The American Meteor Society reported that it has received at least 190 reports of the meteor’s trajectory. The society said it thinks the meteor, which had a southeast trajectory, was primarily visible in South Carolina but could also be seen in North Carolina and several surrounding states.

It was especially visible in the Charlotte area, the society reports.

Of the reports the society received, most people in North Carolina who reported seeing the meteor were in the Charlotte, Asheville and Greensboro areas. Someone in Durham also reported the meteor, the society’s records said.

Meteors are common, but most are about the size of a grain of sand, said television station WBTV’s meteorologist, Eric Thomas. Wednesday night’s meteor probably was much bigger than the average meteor, but it still likely burned up before it hit the ground, Thomas said.

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Fireball, caught on tape, illuminates night skies over the Carolinas."