Fireball Shoots Through Minnesota, Iowa Skies

A fireball shooting through the skies wowed people across Iowa and Minnesota the day after Christmas.

The American Meteor Society reports that it’s received more than 1,050 reports of a fireball seen over the Iowa-Minnesota border at about 5:45 p.m. Dec. 26—making it the third most reported fireball in the history of the society’s online reporting system.

“Witnessed described a fireball as bright as the Sun that fragmented into many parts,” the society reported. “Several witnesses reported sonic effects associated with the meteors including at least three reports of delayed booms.”

While the bulk of the reports come from Iowa and Minnesota’s southern border, a handful of witnesses in the Twin Cities posted reports.

“Brightest and biggest meteor I've ever seen; I've gone out to see a few meteor showers,” wrote Brittany N., of St. Michael. She added that it fragmented, “kind of like sparks coming off the side of it.”

A camera from the City of North Liberty (IA) Streets Department captured the fireball arcing across the sky. Check it out in the video above.