North Carolina Meteor 1/19/2011

Jan.19 2011

Reports are now coming in from North Carolina and Georgia about a large green meteor that just came down. The reported times are between 20:50 – 21:00 EST.

From Charlotte, NC

it was really cool ball of green glow. my husband thought it was a firework left over from new years but there was no sound but a big ball of green glowing something with a glowing trail

from Burlington, NC

I was driving in my truck talking with a friend. We had the windows rolled up and the heater fan on. I didn\’t hear anything from outside the vehicle.
General_Remarks = I was driving towrds work on Forestdale Dr between the Forestdale apartments and the K-Mart. Through the windsheild I saw a very bright fireball with a tail streaking across the sky. I lost sight very quickly when it went down behind trees/buildings.

Charlotte, NC

This happened on a very clear night, and it was an amazing sight. The best shooting star I have ever witnessed. It was so bright and large that I was waiting for an impact!

Could this be more evidence of a new meteor stream? Approaching asteroids? Solar grazing comets? Inquiring and paranoid minds want to know….

If you witnessed this event, please report it to the American Meteor Society and also leave a comment here or email me.

:Green Lights in Sky, Meteor News, North Carolina 1/19/2010

21 Comments for this entry

Leia
January 20th, 2011 on 7:24 am
My kids and i were on I-485 in North Carolina when we saw the ball of green light with a tail streaming from the sky. We were near the airport @ around 2050 on January 19th, 2011 We thought it was a plane that has crashed because it was so bright. I just told my kids to make a big wish for the big fallen star. It was an awesome sight to see.
Patrick Lombardi
January 20th, 2011 on 8:32 am
I saw this meteor from my bedroom window in Ovid, Michigan. Headed into the southern sky, the unusual bluish green meteor was spectacular and streaked across the sky at amazing speed around 9PM. I’ve not heard anything on the news about it this morning. I’m glad to see I’m not alone in witnessing the celestial event!
Melanie
January 20th, 2011 on 9:55 am
I was driving home from work in Charlotte. Going down 485 close to the airport when I saw it. It was a bright green fiery ball. I also thought it might have been fireworks but there was no noise and it was too big. I am pretty sure other people saw it as well as I saw some folks tap their breaks.
It was pretty big and I bet if you could find a way to access the woods where it went you’d find some evidences of it.
Kevin
January 20th, 2011 on 10:17 am
I am from Lansing MI and I saw it. Look south, it went from ~10:00 in the sky to ~4:00. Lasted about 3 seconds.
Dave Hughes
January 20th, 2011 on 11:24 am
I saw this as well. I’m in Algonac Michigan.
I too was waiting for an explosion but apparently it wasn’t large enough for that type of outcome.
There was no tree-line to shield my view of the event. It burned out at about 15 degrees above the horizon. Incredible sight!
Kenneth Hebert
January 20th, 2011 on 11:35 am
I saw this too. I live in Oakdale, Louisiana. It happened at about 7:30 pm central time.
Patti
January 20th, 2011 on 12:01 pm
I was sitting in my living room near Old Fort, NC (near Asheville). I have an expansive view of Mount Mitchell and saw a bright green fireball cross the sky in a downward arc. It was about 9:00 pm est. It was quite large, very green, and had a long tail of green, orange and red. I have never seen anything like it, and was in awe.
Brad
January 20th, 2011 on 1:50 pm
1/19/11- I am in Charlotte and was driving home tonight and saw a very bright green light trailing off toward the horizon at about 9 pm. It looked like a shooting star but much larger, brighter and very green. I haven’t seen any other accounts from charlotte tonight but will keep searching. Very interesting observation Mike. I just got lucky to see it, and its the first one of it’s kinds i have ever seen. It was so close to the horizon i was sure it was going to make contact with the ground nearby. Very cool.
Darrell
January 20th, 2011 on 2:36 pm
1/19/11 We saw this from Six Lakes Michigan. 2 of our friends witnessed it as well. Was so exciting and just the same as you all – It looked like it was not far in front of us, a bright green, glowing fireball with reddish tail descending into the trees. Was curious if it impacted and was glad to read that someone saw it burn out at 15 degrees above the horizon.
illskillz
January 20th, 2011 on 2:50 pm
I seen this green light flying east across the sky and over sunrise mountain at around 7:10 pm pacific time on the 19th of janurary here in las vegas. I was drivin and heading east when my girlfriend told me to look up and to my surprise there it was. Came home, called the news and asked if they seen or heard any reports…nothing. So i looked online and now i see that others seen this too . It was very strange looking since i never seen a green comet..
Steve
January 20th, 2011 on 2:52 pm
1/19/2011 I witnessed this Meteorite as well; I was North-bound on I-77 in North Carolina, when I noticed a Greenish-Blue Ball with what appeared to be a sparkler type short tail on it. You could see the tail which resembled a sparkler coming apart in the air around the Greenish-Blue Ball and trailing behind it as it traveling quickly from east to west, I was traveling north at the time. Wonderfully vivid, Third time I’ve seen something like this in the last couple of years!
Vicki
January 20th, 2011 on 4:16 pm
1/19/11 I was driving home from work in Jasper, Texas last night around 7:30 when I saw a ball of fire streak across the sky. It was larger than a regular “shooting star” and you could tell it was in our atmosphere. My first thought was an airplane but I quickly realized it was moving much too fast. I continued on and as I was entering Kirbyville, the small town where I live, I noticed a large smoke trail. The moon was big and bright so I could see it perfectly. It came from the heavens to the horizon. I called my son-in-law who lives 15 miles away and he went outside and could see the smoke trail from his house. I watched the news but have yet to hear any word of a meteor or anything. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. It was really cool, yet alittle scarey.
Laura
January 20th, 2011 on 5:07 pm
I too saw the light and thought it must have been a firework. It was beautiful. I am so glad I was fortunate enough to see something so spectacular.
Tammy
January 20th, 2011 on 8:39 pm
I live in Marion, NC and I was on my way home from Wednesday Night church services and saw the ball of light go across the sky. It was amazing to see!
Andrew
January 21st, 2011 on 11:46 am
We saw it in Westminster Md.
Eric
January 21st, 2011 on 6:33 pm
I live in phoenix az and I was out having a smoke when I heard two loud booms and the light shoot across the sky. I thought maybe i was alone but i see now that is not the case.
Walt Mapes
January 21st, 2011 on 8:50 pm
I live in Glen Alpine N.C. I was leaving church wednesday evening at approx.8:50 pm est. A woman said she felt moisture so my Pastor, and his daughter and myself all looked up to the Northwest sky and saw a brilliant green fireball shoot across the sky heading downward. This was a beautiful and amazing sight.The moon was bright and I thought maybe I had saw a smoke trail but kind of doubted myself because no one else mentioned it.
Crystal
January 21st, 2011 on 9:40 pm
Me my dad and sister was leavin my mom’s in Marion NC on 226 south and was lookin up at the beautiful moon bc there was a rainbow around the moon and my sister notice a steak of light goin across the sky…she was really amazed we all where we had never seen anything like this before. We knew it wasn’t a fallin star,we had all seen a star fallin before and knew this wasn’t a fallin star…we wished we could of gotten a picture…
Tony P.
January 23rd, 2011 on 12:29 am
I am so happy to have found out what I saw Wednesday 1/19/11 at 7:56pmCST. It definitely was spectacular and lasted only a brief moment in the sky as I drove into Chicago facing southeast on the I-94. Just by chance I glanced in that direction and saw a bright green ball with a tapered trail for only a second. It seemed too substantial and defined to be fireworks or a laser; and it was moving downward below the horizon. I figured it had to be a meteor or a dang UFO!?!? I made sure I wasn’t crazy and told my friends what I saw at exactly 7:56cst and told them to keep their ears open for stories to substantiate my claim
Jeanette Munnings
January 24th, 2011 on 11:28 am
I did not know what I saw at around 9:00 pm on Wednesday evening but everyone here has confirmed my sightings, a meteroite burning out in the earths atmosphere. What a spectacular and frightening experience. I was going south on US 23 near Petersburg, MI and saw a flash of green blue hue that was going from east to west, lasting maybe all of 4 seconds with a large fireball burn out looking to be very close to earth.
onceinabluemoon
January 25th, 2011 on 1:47 pm
hi i bumped into your blog while looking for compass designs and LOVE your patio stone compass, can you tell me where you got your medallion? thanks so much for your time, jain~