Blue fireball left witness afraid ‘someone was launching an attack on the US.’ See it
.png "The fireball was seen in at least four states in the upper Midwest, and in Canada, according to reports.")
A bright blue fireball spotted in the upper Midwest and Canada crashed to Earth dramatically enough to convince at least one witness he was in danger.
The meteor came into view before midnight on Friday, Nov. 8, drawing eyes to the night sky in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and even Winnipeg, Canada, according to reports collected by the American Meteor Society.
One witness in Minnesota noticed a distant flash and turned his head just in time to witness the “very bright” fireball as it headed eastward.
Another Minnesota man both heard and saw the object overhead and was initially alarmed, he reported.
“I was first fearful that someone was launching an attack on the US,” the man said, adding that the sound coming from the object “was similar to a plane flying far off.”
Thankfully there was no need to duck and cover.
“I am glad that it seems to be a possible meteor instead!” he said.
Video taken in Grand Forks, North Dakota, captures the fireball’s descent — flashing bright white at first and fading to a greenish-blue as it hurtles away.
Fireballs can display different colors — generally red, blue, green or yellow — depending on what they’re made of, according to AMS. This particular meteor was mostly blue, indicating that it’s probably mostly magnesium, which gives off a blue hue as it burns up in the atmosphere.
The color could also be an indication of the object’s speed, as “a higher level of kinetic energy will intensify certain colors compared to others.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2024 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Blue fireball left witness afraid ‘someone was launching an attack on the US.’ See it."